Twisted Fate
by deal-with-it
Summary: Fate is cruel and makes us its slave, playing us in a sick twisted game of never ending torture. Yukishiro Enishi will find out just how true that is.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer**_: Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X and all characters pertaining to it is personal property to Nobuhiro Watsuki, and I do not make any ownership claim to the manga and anime. I do not receive any financial gain in making this fan fiction.

**AN**: I honestly have a dislike for Canon Character/Original Character parings, and I tried to think of any way to write this story without my own OC, but to no avail. However, due to my obsessive compulsive nature (more obsessive than compulsive), I just couldn't make this story disappear from my head. I tried to work my way around it, but I just couldn't find a way to write it using just Canon Characters. I have a feeling this story isn't going to be one of my popular ones due to its content, but I did complete it.

**Rated**: Strong R (I toned it down for , but if you want the descriptive NC-17 story, then please go to or )

**Parings**: EnishixOC, other canon couples

**Summary**: Fate is cruel and makes us its slave, playing us in a sick twisted game of never ending torture. Seventeen years after Yukishiro Enishi leaves the Fallen Village, he will find out just how true that is.

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 1_

He spent years, seventeen years to be exact, trying to find a way to make his sister smile upon him once again. He was all but unsuccessful, although when he felt extremely discouraged and depressed, she would smile for him.

It was not the smiles he longed to see, no; they were smiles of encouragement, meant to aid him along in his conquest to atone for his sins. To keep going, keep struggling; until he has done all that he could to repay everything, and then some.

The question remains, however; how does one put a value on a single human life?

He rarely stepped a single foot on Japan soil since he left the Fallen Village, but he had no choice this time; he had to come back to his country of birth to seal a deal with one of the finest Japanese business men, or so everyone else thought. No one knew, save for a few, himself included, that the man was a crook and worked in illegal trades; not to mention he also had a governmental position.

That was when he found himself, uninterested, in the secret auction that his partner in crime, for lack of better words, invited him to. How he ended up being dragged here was beyond his comprehension. He just guessed that he no longer had any argument left in him; a total ninety degree change from his twenty year old self.

He probably needed to kill time while waiting for the ship, which would take him back to China, to sail off; kill time without being recognized.

It was an exclusive club, reserved only for the super-rich, powerful, and elite. It was a club where you had to know someone who was a prestige, long time, well-known member. There were, of course, your common low dogs that scratched their way up the financial scale through dirty works.

He was no better of an example, having killed a very rich Japanese family in China to obtain his beginning margin of wealth.

He blinked himself out of that revere and he ran his hand through his spiky white locks. He remained focused on the auction; another virgin girl had been bought by a very wealthy, well-known Japanese government official.

The young girl, probably mid-teens, was carried out by the official's servants, crying her tears that would never help her.

He closed his eyes, and sure enough, there was his sister in his mind; dark eyes unblinking, face straight, unsmiling, always.

_What do you want me to do, Nee-san? Unsheathe my Watou and kill everyone here?_

He did, of course, have his Watou sword wrapped in a brown rucksack with the rope cord that he held with his hand, slung over his shoulder; just as he had when he returned to Japan after his ten year self-exile.

"Hey, get a look at this hellion!" his Chinese business partner whispered to him.

His Chinese business partner was his right hand man, Feng; he was a comrade that someone in his top position could trust, but the white-haired man trusted no one.

Enishi looked at the two men having to carry the girl out to be auctioned off. Her screaming and un-lady-like cursing could be heard over even the rowdy group of lechers.

The poor girl probably had no idea that her fighting these men with her every ounce of strength only ensured their lust. These men love a feisty girl to break; it was a sick thrill to them, like a hunting game.

As she was held down by the men, and she got a few good punches and kicks on them, Enishi got a brief look at her.

The girl was a teenager, of course, with a simple pink spring kimono on; but what really caught his attention were her features. She had raven-black hair, which used to be tied in a high ponytail, but was dislodged during her struggle, causing her ponytail to become lopsided.

She looked strikingly familiar to Enishi, as if he knew her from somewhere, from someplace, that he could not recall. He was just prevented from studying her face with her struggling, and the other men crowding the way.

Should he help her? No, it was none of his business…

And there was his sister again, unsmiling, and her eyes closed to him in deep sadness…

"I hear on hundred thousand Yen," the auctioneer announced. "Going once, going twice—"

"Two hundred thousand Yen." Enishi announced with his hand raised so the auctioneer would know he was a serious buyer.

The other men murmured their surprise, his Chinese business partner looked at him, when the stranger with the premature white hair raised the bid another thousand. That meant he had money.

Of course Enishi had money, even on the run from the police seventeen years ago. He still had his business from China, still lived there since no Japanese official had any authority there and therefore could not touch him.

"I hear two hundred thousand Yen—"

"Two hundred fifty thousand five hundred!" another man shouted.

"Three hundred thousand." Enishi auctioned.

"Three hundred fifty thousand nine hundred!" the same man shouted.

Enishi rolled his eyes, even though they were hidden behind the dark lenses of his glasses. He only wore them when he was in Japan, to hide somewhat of his identity, and when he became the other man he held within himself.

"What're you doing?" Feng whispered to him. He knew they could not bring a young woman with them, for fear of being discovered.

"Five hundred thousand one hundred." Enishi calmly said as he ignored his business partner.

The room was hushed, and the auctioneer just shrugged, waiting for someone else to outbid the white haired stranger.

No one did.

"Sold to…?" the auctioneer exclaimed as he tried to know the name of his new "best friend."

Money always talked.

"No name," Enishi said as he took the raven haired girl with a strong grip to her arm. "I just like young Japanese girls."

Although he had no idea what he was doing; his Chinese clothes were a dead giveaway for anyone trying to locate the girl he just bought.

Enishi just hoped he did not buy trouble.

The girl struggled in his tight hold, so he had to temporarily pawn the girl over to his Chinese business partner to hold her so he could get his cash out.

He handed the wad of bills over to the auctioneer, and they briefly shook hands. The auctioneer, a typical human trafficking criminal, smiled at Enishi.

"If you ever need another high-spirited horse," he whispered, and of course, Enishi knew he was talking about the girl he just bought. "You're welcome here any time."

Enishi nodded once to the man, and turned to leave. He grabbed the girl from his business partner, and walked out of the secret club as more girls were being auctioned off.

"Can I have a taste after you, Hu?" the Chinese man asked.

"After I'm done with her, my friend, you won't want her." Enishi replied.

"What the hell are you two talking about?!" the hellion screamed.

Of course the girl would not know Chinese, or Mandarin, the common language spoken in China.

Enishi had learned both dialects when he lived there, struggling to survive as a boy. He had to learned fast and quick. He tightened his grip on the girl's arm, and she gave a short, startled cry of pain.

"Shut up," Enishi commanded as they made their way through the port. "If you don't want to spend five days in a crate as we travel to China, you'll hold your tongue."

The girl sucked in a short breath, probably out of shock, and she struggled more.

"No!" she cried, her wild streak finally breaking as tears rolled down her face. "I don't want to go to China!"

Enishi inwardly sighed as he turned her to face him; both hands gripped both her upper arms, and one arm had the rucksack cord caught between her arm and his hand. It was a brief moment that he studied her face. Yes, she defiantly looked very familiar.

The shape of her face was oval, her chin was sharply narrow; heart-shaped, her ebony-black hair was messy, but Enishi could see how it would have looked in its high position. Within those ebony locks, she had drew locks, long and slim, reaching all the way to her shoulders. She had spiky bangs that almost overlapped her eyes.

It was her eyes, however, that was striking; they were a semi-cat-like shape, and some sort of blue shade, but around the pupils, they turned a different shade, but he could not name the color.

Very intriguing; very familiar.

"You're coming with me to China." Enishi told the girl in a dangerous voice. "If anyone asks, tell them you're in an arranged marriage with me, and we're going on our honeymoon."

The girl's lips trembled, but she nodded once. Hellion or not, she knew very well how to read people, and the guy who bought her was not the type of man to anger.

Enishi was satisfied enough to relax his grip on the girl, but not enough to allow her any room for escape.

They boarded the ship that would take them from Yokohama back to Shanghai, China, and the trio stood on the deck. No one bothered them, and no one looked up.

The girl thought of screaming for help, but as she looked about, she noticed the majority were Chinese. Would they understand if she screamed and made a ruckus?

"Don't even think about it." The white haired man warned her.

The girl's eyes turned wild and desperate as the shipmen readied the ship to make her journey. Enishi knew what she was going to do as the girl looked at an elderly Chinese woman.

In a pitiful attempt to disguise his newly acquired hellion, he grabbed the band that tied her hair halfway up, yanked it out of her hair, grabbed her and crushed her to him.

He sealed his lips painfully on her lips as she made protests in her throat. Some people that saw them shook their heads in disgust, murmuring in a language that the girl did not understand.

Enishi, of course, completely understood what they were saying, but he did not care. He just needed this girl to keep quiet, and when the ship slowly started to deport, he finally released her.

She looked up at him, for she was a tiny thing, and scowled deeply at him, her face bright red from embarrassment and anger.

Her scowling reminded him of someone that he could not place. Why did this girl look so familiar to him?

He released her from him, but remained close to her side as she went to the stern of the ship. Would she jump just to swim to the port?

The girl watched with immensely sad eyes as the country she was born to slowly drifted away. The sea breeze blew her dark locks around her like a cape, and as the sun set, Enishi swore he saw red highlights in the dark strands.

No, it was a trick of the orange hues casting their color off the sky.

He briefly felt a surge of pity for the girl as tears rolled down her eyes, and she whispered, "Sayonara, Land of the Rising Sun."

_To Be Continued…_

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Sayonara – formal "goodbye." It's different than other goodbyes, because it means you will never see the other again, whether it is a person, place or thing.

Enishi bought the girl for five thousand dollars ($5,000), a very high price for 1890s Japan.


	2. Chapter 2

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 2_

For the whole five days aboard the ship, the girl would not look, or even speak, to Enishi. Of course, the elder never encouraged her to speak to him. The silence was just fine with him as they slept under the deck in a single room with two sets of bunk beds.

Before his Jinchuu, Enishi would have spared no expense and gotten a better room. Now, however, and although still very wealthy, he reduced himself to ordinary expenses to keep a low profile.

It was human nature to observe the rich and powerful, and for Enishi to foolishly throw himself back in the limelight was just asking for trouble.

The only one in the room besides the girl and himself was his business partner. They had much to discuss since their return to Japan.

Enishi sat on his bottom bunk, and the girl he bought slept on the bunk above him. His partner was across from him on the second bunk bed set, so they could talk further matters.

"So what did Yamataro say?"

"He didn't like joining me with business deals, but because I promised influence in China, he had no choice." Enishi replied, both speaking in Mandarin.

"So, you will make further weapons of war?"

"I'm simply financially aiding him. I get forty percent profit."

"Forty percent?! Yamataro must be desperate!"

Enishi smirked with his arms folded as he said, "Yamataro said he has a scientist working on some weapon that will cripple soldiers during war."

"Let me guess," the Chinese man smiled. "The Westerners want this new product."

"Correct, and that is why I'm getting forty percent profit. The Westerners just keep the Chinese addicted to that opium tea so China won't know what's going on around them."

"That opium tea is what's crippled China. Word is the Chinese government is going to cut off the tea trade with the Westerners."

"I assume so, but that is China's problem." Enishi settled himself down on his bunk.

"That girl you bought," the Chinese man asked. "Why did you buy her and bring her along with us?"

"Convenience." Enishi replied, but offered no more insight to his thoughts.

His business partner understood the notion and lay down to sleep as well.

Enishi closed his eyes. He bought the girl mainly because his unsmiling sister encouraged him to do so. The other reason was he thought he knew the girl, for she looked very familiar. It turned out, he did not know her, but she still looked very familiar.

It was strange, almost like fate, the way they met down to him having no choice but to bring her with him to China. Unfortunately, for the girl, Enishi had a reputation to uphold, and he could not just let her go due to that reputation.

The time was moving too fast, and the ship was about to sail, and he could not stay in Japan a moment longer; so that was another reason why he had no choice but to bring her with him. Besides, he paid five thousand Yen for her, so he definitely was not going to let her go.

Enishi was not a lecher, of course, so he was not going to force himself on the girl. He would just think of some purpose for her so he could get his money's worth.

The ship rocked and jolted as she sailed through the rough waves. There must be a storm above them, or the ship had hit bad waters. The ship gave another jolt, and Enishi was almost tossed out of his bed. He heard movement above him, and the girl made her way down from her bunk.

The ship rocked another way and the girl all but fell on him. She heaved with her hand clamed over her mouth, and she vomited on the floor. She looked away, embarrassed, before she said, "I need to ask a crew member for cleaning supplies."

"I'll ask." Enishi commanded more than suggested. "I don't want you telling other people you've been kidnapped."

The girl clamped her mouth shut with an almost audible snap. Enishi left the room and looked around for a crew member. One of the crew members, probably new, had a very difficult time getting the supplies to Enishi, for he was tossed around with the ship.

Enishi just moved his body weight with the ship's rocking and jolting like a professional sailor. He retrieved the supplies and brought it to the room, and handed it to the girl.

It was difficult for the girl to clean up her mess since she was often sick. Enishi handed her an empty bucket, inwardly amused when the girl flushed with more embarrassment.

"Vomit in that." Enishi commanded her.

The girl was done cleaning her mess, and she clung to the empty pail with her life. Enishi sat down on his bunk a few inches away from her since she decided to also sit on his bunk. He did not blame her, for the rocking would be worse if she was on the upper bunk.

"I take it you've never sailed before." Enishi said to her.

The girl briefly glanced at him, and then looked back down at her bucket. A moment passed before she said, "I've never been to another country, so no, I've never sailed before."

The ship gave another sharp jolt, and the girl closed her eyes as she gulped several times. She inhaled and exhaled slowly several times before her breathing pace quickened; she gulped several times again before she dry heaved into the bucket.

Enishi once again felt a surge of pity for the girl, but he did not show it. After the girl was finished with her heaving, she breathed several times again from exertion.

"What's that long thing tied up next to you?" she asked.

Enishi observed that she was trying to make herself forget her nausea by creating conversation. He looked at the object she was asking about, which was lying on the bed.

"My Watou sword." He simply answered.

"You practice the Art of Swordsmanship?"

Enishi's eye twitched; the art of swordsmanship, huh?

"Yes; Garyu Watojitsu to be exact."

"My parents practice the art, too. Well, my mother more than my father. My mother has a school, and my father has retired his swordsmanship."

"That's not uncommon." Enishi replied, although uninterested in this girl's mundane life. "Many swordsmen have retired their weapons."

Plus, there were still a few dojos open in Japan despite the sword now being useless.

The girl nodded once before adding, "My mother's school is somewhat popular…for students looking for recreation, or because their parents want them to learn of the old days."

The old days.

Enishi preferred to forget the old days; the old days of war, conflict, unimaginable amounts of blood staining the white snow, and an assassin with red hair and a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek.

The ship gave another sharp jump, and the girl suddenly asked, "How old are you?"

Enishi looked at the girl out of the corner of his eye before he answered, "Thirty-seven."

The girl looked at him with disbelief, and she cried in a high whisper, "No you're not! You look too young for thirty-seven!"

"That's my age, and it's not going to change until next year. How old are you?"

He meant for it to be insulting to the girl, but she answered anyway.

"Fifteen."

She looked about that age.

"We should almost be there to Shanghai." Enishi informed and then commanded. "Get some sleep."

Enishi got up from the bunk and, with his Watou, easily climbed up to the top bunk with the easy flow of a tiger. The girl below him uneasily settled down on the bottom bunk, and had a fitful night's sleep.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The ship came into port at Shanghai City, China early in the morning. The ship's passengers were scrambling about, trying to get their luggage together, wanting so much to get off the vessel.

One of those willing passengers was Enishi's recently acquired merchandise. Her eyes were half-lidded, and dark circles were forming under her eyes. He could tell she did not get much sleep on their journey.

"When we get off the ship," Enishi commanded to the girl. "Stay close; keep your head down, and your eyes averted. You definitely don't want to get lost in a city like Shanghai, especially as a foreigner."

So they departed from the ship together, as well as the Chinese man that accompanied them. The girl practically glued herself to Enishi's black Chinese shirt while he spoke Mandarin to his partner.

The Chinese man, Feng, looked more Japanese than Chinese with his slightly larger Japanese eyes and long black hair, tied back into a high ponytail.

The girl felt really out of place as the crowded dock bustled about with people crammed together like diced up tuna. They spoke a language she did not know, so trying to receive help from them would not be an option.

Not that she had very many options to begin with.

The city of Shanghai was loud with conversations, people quickly walking about, their gazes straight ahead of them; the fishermen were bring out barrels of seafood to the rowdy market, shouting to one another as they quickly filled the market with their catches. Seagulls cawed as they flew about in search of an easy meal.

The weather was incredibly hot; the sun beat down unmercifully upon the city, and not a breath of wind, even from the sea, would bring relief to the residents.

So humid.

Stray dogs would run about, seeking food, and (she blushed) some mated in the middle of public. No one paid them any attention as they went about their business. Market sellers would shout to pedestrians, no doubt trying to sell their products by saying their booth had the best bargains.

Some sales booths were food booths, and the wonderful aroma of food filled the dock's air as it also mixed with the scent of sea water. She could see white steam fill the air as the cooks waved the fires with their Chinese fans.

Enishi finished his conversation with the Chinese man and they went their separate ways. He motioned for the girl to follow him through the crowded streets, and although she did not like it, she looped her arm around his left arm; his right hand held his wrapped up Watou sword.

Enishi paid no mind to her as he walked them through the streets in a straight pattern; his wealthy clothes spoke of status, and the other pedestrians moved away from him. Although, he had to admit to himself, it felt strange to be touched by another person again.

The girl kept her eyes averted and her head down, just as Enishi told her. She did not want to be in this strange country, and already she missed Japan greatly. In her situation, however, she had no choice but to cling to Enishi like a lifeline because in a cut-throat city like Shanghai, he was just that; a lifeline.

They walked right up to a business that was set very close to the dock. The girl noticed it was a horse and buggy type business, for she saw horses and carriages on the side of the building. They went inside, and when Enishi saw they were the only customers, he released his arm from her.

The bookkeeper at the counter, a young woman, smiled at Enishi like she knew him and they were good friends. He winked at her as they carried on a small conversation, and the young woman glanced at the girl.

The girl, who was now personal property of Enishi, stood aside, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. No doubt she looked dirty and very un-presentable; she could use a washroom right now, because if she could smell herself, then she knew everyone else could, too.

Enishi gave the woman a small chuckle, another wink, he paid the bill, and they were out of the tiny building. As soon as they exited, the girl once again clung to her purchaser's arm.

"I'm going to lose my arm if you continue to hold it so tightly." Enishi scolded.

She did not loosen her grip as they went around to the back where a Chinese man was standing next to a carriage. The employee opened the door to the carriage and bowed. He stayed bowed until both Enishi and the girl were inside before he closed the door.

"I'm not going to ride in the luggage bin?" the girl snipped.

The luggage bin was located on the back of the carriage.

Enishi looked at her seriously as the carriage moved along smoothly. The girl could hear the clicking of the horses' hooves on the dirt road. She looked around the carriage in amazement; it had velvet seats facing each other, her on one seat, Enishi on the other, across from her. The roof was fine linen, and everything was red velvet.

"Impressed?" Enishi asked.

The girl just nodded before she said, "This is my first time in a carriage. How can you get one as extravagant as this when you're a foreigner?"

"In a city like Shanghai, you have to speak the right language; and the right language is always money. Show it to them, and they'll be your best friends. Run out of it, and you have no friends."

Suddenly the carriage jumped, almost overturned, but it kept upright and continued on smoothly once again. The girl could hear screaming fading away as the carriage drove on.

"What was that?!" she asked.

Enishi shrugged as he answered, "We probably ran over something, or rather someone."

"And we're not stopping?! What if they're dead?!"

"That's life."

The girl stared at Enishi with wide, disbelieving eyes. He smirked at her, and said, "Welcome to Shanghai."

_To Be Continued…_

**AN**: Really quick; the war that Enishi mention Japan was currently in was the Sino-Japanese War, which lasted from 1894-1895.

For those of you readers whom made it this far without abandoning my fan story, and are thinking, "OMG! Enishi is thirty-seven and the girl is fifteen?! Can we say pedophile issues?!"

Let me get on my soapbox for just a moment…

First off, this is 1800s Japan. Even back then, many young girls were married off to much, much older men. In fact, many of the men had been waaaaay older than thirty-seven. It just irks me so much when I read Kenshin/Kaoru fan fics, and some start the story off with an author's notes that more or less states: Kaoru is older because I have issues with Kenshin and Kaoru's age differences.

Of course, the way things are in Japan are not like they were then, but every country has its own faults. Even in the Western culture, at one point, teenagers would sometimes run away and get married without their parents' approval. In some African tribes, it's a norm for men of other tribes to visit neighboring tribes and steal a married woman for themselves.

My point: For the love of whatever, or whomever, you believe in, stop judging other cultures and beliefs based on your own cultures and moral values!

I'm going to get off my soapbox now, so I hope I made my point, and I hope you can continue on in this journey with me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 3_

The carriage drove onward for quite a while, as the duo inside the moving vessel remained silent towards one another.

The girl watched the buildings outside the window pass by at a steady pace. There were fewer and fewer building to be seen as their journey dragged on.

Enishi sat with his arms folded and his eyes closed; as always, that sword of his by his side. The girl knew better than to believe he was asleep; she just had a way of reading people. If he really was asleep, she did not doubt that she would take the chance to jump out of the carriage, even when it was moving.

She doubted that she would, however, because she is a realist.

The girl slowly closed her droopy eyes as the horses pulled the carriage onward. The carriage was almost like a hammock, swaying in the gentle breeze…

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

_The weather had been very mild; typical weather for spring. She walked quickly as she tried to get to her destination as quickly as possible. Her family was probably waiting. She had just eaten lunch with her father during his lunch break and she carried the empty bento boxes in her arms._

_She decided to take the shortcut by the river; the place where they watch the cherry blossoms every spring. As she quickly walked, as quickly as her pink spring kimono would allow, she heard movement to her right._

_She looked that way with a brief pause, but she saw nothing. Frowning, she continued her pace even quicker. The noise, like a rustling in the bushes, happened again, and she paused just for a moment._

_In that moment, an arm wrapped around her thin waist, holding her so tightly, so thought she might bruise; another arm wrapped around her shoulder, the hand clamped tightly over her mouth, so even her screams could not be heard._

_She struggled to gain release, to even breathe, but the arm kept its grip true, and the hand kept its grip on her mouth._

_She delivered several kicks to the person's legs behind her, causing pain in her heels, and the only reaction she received was a few grunts of pain._

_The struggling between the two continued for a minute, and all she could see was white specks in her vision before her lack of oxygen caused her to become extremely dizzy, and her vision faded away into blackness…_

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The carriage gave a jolt, and the girl sat upright with a single scream. She breathed hard as perspiration beaded on her already filthy body. She looked ahead of her, and saw the white-haired man stare intently at her with his unblinking topaz-blue eyes.

He blinked once and used two of his fingers to push his round-lens sunglasses further up his nose. He asked her no questions about her behavior even as the silence dragged on between them.

She slowly started to relax, somewhat, but because she did not want to fall asleep again, she remained tense. It was pretty scary the way her purchaser stared at her when she awoke. It was almost inhuman, tiger-like, the way he stared her down.

Simultaneously, she was very intrigued with the white-hair man. There was just an aura of mystery surrounding him.

What was his story?

While the girl slept, Enishi was able to study her face for a while to figure out if he knew her. He did not know her, but she still looked very familiar to him, and it irked him to not know why.

Her ebony hair had a good length to it; down to the middle of her back. Her eyelashes were long, almost touching her cheeks as she slept.

The carriage slowly came to a halt, and the girl was glad for it. The carriage door opened, and Enishi got out first. The girl followed, and the carriage driver, although bowed and holding the door opened, extended a hand to her. She accepted it, and stepped down from the transportation.

"Arigatou." She politely said with a traditional Japanese bow.

The Chinese man stared at her blankly. Of course; he probably did not know what she was saying. Enishi extended his hand and gave the carriage driver a few coins with square-shaped holes in the middle.

"That's how you say 'thank you' to Shanghai workers." Enishi informed.

The Chinese man bowed once more, got back on the carriage, and drove away. The girl looked at the empty luggage bin, and back to her purchaser. She noticed he was only carrying his sword, wrapped up in cloth.

"You don't have any luggage?" she asked.

"No."

"Doushite?"

"I didn't stay very long in Japan."

The girl frowned at that, but did not question him further. She stared at the iron gate in front of them, which Enishi opened easily, and closed it back again after she passed the gate line.

The girl followed him, and they walked down the long dirt road. On both sides of the dirt road was foliage of the greenest sort she had ever seen. The grass was a strong colored green, and there were bushes of various sorts, cut and trimmed very well.

There were a few Chinese men on the large property, wearing Chinese straw hats as they worked the acres. There were various rose bushes with different colored roses also growing on the property; red, white, pink, yellow, and even violet and blue.

She had to pause to stare at the blue and violet roses, to make sure they were real. When she reached out to touch the pedals of the nearest blue rose bush, she knew they were real; the soft, velvet texture was very hard to imitate.

"Can we go now?" Enishi asked as he slowly continued to walk down the dirt road.

"I've never seen blue roses before!" the girl exclaimed with awe. "Nor purple ones."

"They're Chinese blue roses." Enishi simply informed.

The girl continued to follow her owner down the dirt path as she continued to observe the property. All the foliage seemed to be just randomly placed, except for the trees.

The trees were perfectly placed on both sides of the dirt road; perfectly align all the way from the beginning of the property down to the end of the dirt road. They stood together perfectly down the line, like soldiers stood perfectly as the emperor passed by.

The girl noticed something different about the trees, and as she stared at them, she noticed that they were not Cherry blossom trees, although the flowers were very similar. The flowers that did grow on them were similar to sakura, only they had more nectar sprouts. They were all white, and they opened fully to reveal their pollen cores, begging a lover to come to them and taste their sweet nectar.

As they walked by the trees, the girl smelled the aroma from the delicate flowers; an aroma that was similar to sweet, but at the same time, enticing, like a lover beckoning to come to them.

"What are those?" the girl asked as she breathed in the wondrous aroma. "They're not sakura."

"Hakubaikou." Enishi simply answered and he quickened his pace.

White plum blossoms.

The girl had heard of hakubaikou, knew they only bloom in the spring, much like sakura, or cherry blossoms, but she had never seen them in person. They are both delicate flowers, and they die when the sun got too hot. They would bloom again, briefly, during the fall, and then they would die again during the winter.

The girl almost had to run to keep up with her owner, for he was much taller than she. Her head came only to his lower chest, and his legs were definitely longer than her puny legs.

When they got to the end of the dirt road, the foliage all but disappeared, except for the grass, to reveal a wondrous, huge Westerner-style mansion.

The girl had to pause, not only to catch her breath, but also to take in the grand structure. Her mouth opened wide, her eyes widened as she saw the mansion was three stories tall. It was white, and looked more like a palace than a home.

It had multiple windows, architecturally perfect, and aligned perfectly together. She saw a balcony on the second floor, and two double doors behind it. The entrance also had two double doors with two very bright, polished doorknobs.

The mansion spoke of immense wealth, immense power; someone who owned this house definitely had status and privilege!

"Impressed?" Enishi asked.

It seemed he had been asking her that quite often.

"It's….overwhelming." the girl answered.

Three Chinese women were standing outside the doors, dressed in Western maids' uniforms; long black dresses with white aprons. They bowed respectfully to the master of the house, and one maid flashed the girl a dirty sneer.

She was a very pretty Chinese girl with doe-like eyes, small lips, and light black hair, which was tied back into a braid. They verbally greeted the master in a language the Japanese girl did not know, again.

When he answered them, it was not like the language that he spoke to the Chinese man on the ship; that language flowed with ease, like poetry, a softly flowing river. This new language he spoke was a bit choppy, maybe guttural. It was like short, simple words, even though she could not understand one word.

The three maids bowed again, their hands' palms touching as if in prayer as they brought their praying hands up to their faces, touching the fingertips to their foreheads.

The three girls opened both doors for their master, and he stepped inside. He turned to his property, still standing outside, and he looked at her expectantly mixed with impatience.

The girl swallowed nervously, and followed her master inside the mansion. The maids closed the doors behind them with a clang that echoed through the enormous palace-like mansion, and she felt her freedom fall away.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The girl's mouth once again fell open when she saw inside the mansion. It was enormous, just like outside, only much grander inside. At the front of the double doors, was a wooden floor area where guests and residents could take off their footwear.

She did that by removing her geta and she used her foot to push them up neatly against the wall. The white haired man already removed his polished Western shoes and walked onto the very shiny, polished wooden floors.

In front of them were two "his and hers" Western style staircases that curved grandly in unison. The stairs were made out of shiny, polished wood, and the red carpet, which was molded on both staircases, was actually velvet. The railings were also polished wood, smooth to touch, and curved with the staircase. At the top was a balcony between the two staircases, but what was at the top, she did not know.

There were two hallways to the right, one to her immediate right, and the other was located under the right staircase. To the left was a beautiful dining room that she did not get a chance to examine too long. Straight ahead, right under the upstairs balcony, were two double doors; closed.

The three maids already removed their Chinese shoes and they disappeared to clean; as if the place needed it.

He turned to the girl and said, "We eat in one hour."

Enishi was about to leave the girl when she stopped him by asking, "Where may I bathe?"

He looked at her and nodded, then motioned her to follow him. He led her to the hallway directly to the right, down a long hallway that had various paintings, none of which she had time to examine. All the way to the end of the hall, he opened a Western-style wooden door.

"Here is where you can bathe." Enishi informed the girl.

She looked at him, hesitated, but then finally asked, "What's your name?"

He looked over her head as if fearing someone would hear him, and replied in an almost whispered voice, "Enishi; but don't say my name while staff is around."

She nodded, and as he was leaving, she said, "Koishi."

"What?" Enishi asked to make sure she was not calling him "darling."

"My name is Koishi." She clarified.

He nodded once and left. The girl, Koishi, turned back to the washroom. She closed the wooden door behind her and sighed in relief.

The washroom, at least, was not Western style. It was almost traditional Japanese, with the exception of the tub. It was still the traditional Japanese deep soaking tub, or ofuro, but it was huge, not the same size as commoners in Japan.

The room was also huge, very similar to the public washrooms in Japan, and it was very warm inside. There were buckets of water, or hinoki, already laid out.

The girl, Koishi, undressed herself, her pink summer yukata very dirty. She let it fall to the floor, not bothering to fold it; it need to be washed anyway. She sat on a shower stool, or hinoki sauna, and she proceeded to take the water in the hinoki and pour it over herself until she was thoroughly soaked.

She looked at various soaps that were strategically placed on a wooden shelf right next to the shower stools. She stared at the glass bottles without a single clue; she could not read Chinese.

Koishi grabbed one bottle, opened it, and sniffed. She smelled every bottle until she decided on the one that smelled the most feminine. They were scented bath salts, and she took a handful of the white-colored one and ran it through her ebony locks.

After her hair was thoroughly salted, she took more handfuls of the bath salts and rubbed it over her skin several times to clean herself. After she was done rubbing the salts over her body, she took the hinoki and soaked herself with the water again.

She walked over to the ofuro and lowered herself into the very warm water. She willed the water's temperature to relax her tense muscles, an almost impossible feat considering she had been tense for days.

As she relaxed in the ofuro, the reality of her situation finally became known to her, and she cried out a short sob as tears easily flowed down her wet face. She missed Japan already, and did not know if she would ever see her birth country again.

What hurt her so deeply was the thought that her family was probably very worried about her; or they probably thought, at this point, she was dead.

Koishi shed a few more tears before she splashed her face with the ofuro's water, got out, and looked for a cloth to dry herself with.

As she looked around, she noticed, by the door, was an unused hinoki sauna. On it was a towel and a Chinese bathrobe; black in color with gold tigers in various places.

How did it get there in the first place, when it was not there to begin with, Koshi did not want to know. She just gratefully took the drying cloth and ran it all over her body and through her wet hair.

She continued her procedures until her body was completely dry, and her hair was damp. It felt so good to be clean and fresh again!

Koishi saw there were Chinese house shoes by the door (probably came with the drying cloth and Chinese robe), which she put on her feet, opened the door, and walked out.

She walked down the hallway, and she stood at the double curving staircases. She glanced about, wondering where it was she was supposed to go so she could eat.

The mansion was so huge, she was afraid she would get lost. She slowly walked over to the left where she briefly saw a dining room.

After she had time to examine it, Koishi saw it was very beautiful!

There was a Western styled table with chairs. The table was wooden, shiny, and smooth, with a reddish tint to it. The chairs were wood as well with the same reddish tint, only the seats and back supports were cushioned, and the cushions were gold-colored.

There was a china cabinet, polished, wooden that gave off a pine sent, next to the table set, propped against the wall, it was three shelves high, and on each shelf had beautiful china sets. On the lowest shelf was a china set that had plates, bowls, tea cups, tea plates, dessert plates, and crystal champagne glasses. The china set was all white colored with those white flowers painted in the middle of the plates, tea cups, and other wear; white plums.

On the middle shelf was another china set, only they were white in color with some Chinese symbol painted in the middle of every wear. Crystal wine glasses accompanied the set.

At the top shelf was yet another china set, the same white color, only that set had golden tigers painted on them. Plain crystal glasses accompanied the final set.

Above the table was a huge chandelier with tiny crystals dangling in various places. Behind the head of the table was a huge window, one of the many Koishi saw when she was outside, and a white, semi-transparent curtain hung on the curtain rod, closed.

Koishi could still see the garden outside through the curtain, but it was not clear.

The maid with the long braid passed by Koishi, but stopped. She stood formally, but she still had a horrible glare on her face when she looked at the new foreign resident.

The beautiful Chinese woman said something, and Koshi shook her head to symbolically inform the maid she did not understand her language.

The girl rolled her eyes, sneered, and motioned for the Japanese girl to follow her. Koishi followed the maid to the right, away from the dining room. They went down a short hall, into yet another huge room.

There was a kitchen to the right, that much Koishi could tell. There was a Chinese man cleaning the dishes there. In the same room, there was another table, only traditionally Japanese. Plush cushions were placed neatly around the table, obviously for sitting.

Koishi inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as another familiar piece of her homeland was in the room. The white haired man sat at the head of the table. He was also clean and dressed in a robe, waiting for his "guest" to sit and eat.

The maid left, and Koishi slowly made her way to the table. She noticed the next empty place was right next to her "owner," Enishi.

Koishi sat down on the cushion in traditional seiza position. Once she was seated, Enishi picked up his chopsticks and proceeded to eat. She hesitantly picked up her chopsticks, and looked at the steaming food laid out on the table.

There was some kind of beef with a sauce and onions, rice mixed with vegetables, and small dumplings. She proceeded to taste everything; the beef and onions were very delicious! She tried a dumpling and found it to be bland. The next was the rice with vegetable; good, but better when she mixed it with the beef sauce.

Koishi briefly glanced at her "owner," Enishi. He ate without any thought, like his mind was a million miles away, and he ate without tasting. What was going through his mind; how he was going to hold her down and take her? That thought made her stomach clinch, and she could not eat any more.

She set her chopsticks down, grateful that she already finished everything on her plate, and waited for the master to finish. She fidgeted, becoming increasingly unnerved by the silence.

"So, um, how long have you lived in Shanghai?" she asked.

Enishi looked at Koishi as if he just realized she was there. He stared for a few more seconds before he answered, "Twenty-nine years."

"Wow!" Koshi replied. "No wonder you can speak the native language so well!"

"Both native languages." Enishi corrected.

"Nani?"

"There's two native Chinese languages; Mandarin and Cantonese; Mandarin is the most commonly spoken."

"That's why they sound different." Koishi noted as she remembered the way the words flowed like poetry when Enishi spoke to his business partner, and how guttural and choppy the words were when he spoke to the mansion's staff.

Enishi blinked at Koishi; never had a native Japanese noticed the difference between the two languages. It even took him a year or so to get the differences right.

He set his chopsticks down and, as he stood up, said, "I'll show you to your room."

Koishi's heart jumped and started to pound with nervous fear. This was it. Should she protest, scream, run?

She obediently followed her owner out the kitchen, the way she came, passed the dining room, and up the curved staircase by the front doors. At the top, where the balcony was, she could see there were two hallways; one on the left, and one on the right.

Enishi led Koishi to the right hallway; they passed two doors before he stopped at the third door. They were double doors with two Victorian style doorknobs. He twisted both knobs, and both doors swung open.

The room was definitely more Japanese. First, the room was huge, and the bed was a cross between a Western style bed, and a futon. While it was not the traditional futon that rolled out, it was very low to the ground and had a bedframe.

To the left, there was a Western type closet, without a door, but one could walk inside and still have enough room to examine the clothes, if there were any. The closet was completely bare, but the good thing about the room was the personal room next to the closet, for day or midnight relief.

There were Western dressers on both sides of the bed, three drawers each, both made from wood, waxed, shiny, and smooth.

"This is your room." Enishi said.

Koishi nodded, but said nothing. She was waiting for him to pounce, and she was one edge, waiting to fight him off if it came to that.

Enishi turned and left, leaving the girl very confused, but simultaneously, very relieved.

_To Be Continued…_

**AN**: Yes, this chapter is very kind of long, and the next chapter is going to be filled with many descriptions of how I imagine Enishi's mansion in China, so please forgive me for the lack of events in this chapter. Descriptions is a bit obsessive for me, because I can't simply say "bedroom," and leave it at that; no, it's my nature to "paint the picture" for my readers, and I hope I fulfill my end.

Just one more chapter of describing Enishi's mansion and I'll get on with the story.


	4. Chapter 4

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 4_

_She shifted ever so slightly; her body so stiff. She went to sit up, but her head lifted only a few inches before it hit something hard._

_She hissed and tried to place her hand on the wound, but she was blocked again by that something hard. She shifted more vigorously now, her body in a tight confinement. She opened her eyes, only to see nothing but darkness. Had she gone blind somehow during her kidnapping?!_

_No, it was just the darkness of her confined space. She screamed, only to have her cries trapped within the dark spaces. Where was she?! She started to pound on the solid something above her, screaming her demands to be released, but to no avail._

_Then, she heard a cracking, like wood being split opened; a blinding light, a cool gush of air. She gasped as mercy came to her with the cool breath of freedom!_

_No, it was a fool's hope, for a man dragged her out, her hands bound. She heard seagulls, ruckus of men yelling, and she looked about; it was Yokohama seaport. She looked down at what had confided her and saw she had been placed and shipped in a wooden crate like merchandise!_

_The same men shoved her towards a group of five women as they opened more crates. She cringed when she saw some of the young girls did not make the short journey alive. The other five girls huddled together, crying and wailing for their homes; for their loved ones._

_She stared at the few dead girls in the crates. Fate had been kinder to those young women, for what happened next would only get worse…_

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The next few days, Koishi explored the entire mansion until she knew the whole architect down in memory.

The room with the two double doors located under the upstairs balcony turned out to be a huge ballroom. The entire back wall was actually a window, and there were two double doors, made from glass, that led to more of the mansion's property.

Outside, beyond the glass doors, was a large grass yard that stretched for three acres and a man-made pond rested in the middle.

The west wing had ten rooms; five upstairs, and five downstairs. The east wing was exactly the same; ten rooms, five upstairs, five downstairs.

The five rooms downstairs on the west wing were basically sitting rooms; one room was a lavish Western style bathroom with a porcelain, above ground tub and gold knobs. Down the hall, both located under the curved staircases, was five more rooms. They were also sitting rooms, although, in one room, there was a really odd table.

It was a table that had some sort of green material over it with various white marks, shaped like rectangles. On the table were some medal coins and a stack of small ivory rectangles. When Koishi turned one over, she saw markings of a red heart; she counted five. The next one was some black clovers; she counted ten.

On the east wing, the five rooms upstairs were completely furnished. It seemed the mansion's owner wanted an "Around the World" theme, for some rooms were different than others.

One room, on the second floor, had a Chinese theme. It had a bed, low to the ground, very similar to the Japanese themed room Enishi had given her, only the head of the bed frame had that Chinese symbol, exactly the same as the symbol on one of the China sets she saw in the dining room. The dressers and wardrobes also had the same symbol.

Another room had a Western style theme. The bed was high off the ground with four bed posts, and some kind of red colored drapes hanging around it. Another room had a bed so high, there was a small, three step stool to climb up onto it.

One of the rooms on the second floor of the west wing had some kind of animal theme. The bed was low to the ground, much like the Japanese and Chinese themed rooms, only it had a genuine leopard pelt on the mattress of the bed. On the floor was a huge brown bear pelt, and off on the corner of the room was a taxidermy lion; his massive jaws opened in a silent roar, his teeth the size of Western steak knives. The entire room was tacky and tasteless to Koishi.

She soon realized that not all the rooms were bedrooms. One of rooms, closest to the staircases, directly above the ballroom, was an office type room. There was a large, oak desk with a four legged chair; a red cushion was on the seat and back. On the furthest wall, was a huge window with red velvet curtains. Behind the desk was cozy fireplace, although the young woman did not know why it was needed; it was plenty hot in Shanghai. To the right was a huge shelf of books that fit the whole entire wall.

To retrieve the books out of reach, there was a type of latter that was attached to the upper and lower parts of the shelf, and the latter moved on wheels. Koishi just randomly grabbed a book, opened it, but did not have any idea what language it was. The lettering looked like a jumble of lines that were thrown together. It was not beautiful and flowing like Japanese calligraphy.

Next to the library was a small round table with two chairs; the seat was rounded and the arm rests followed the curve of the seat. They were also velvet red cushioned on the seat and back. Koishi placed the book back and felt disappointed that she had nothing to read, even with a smorgasbord of books.

The girl was soon informed by Enishi that the room was his personal area, and he did not liked to be bothered while in there. A few times, Koishi saw the Chinese man that accompanied them on the journey to Shanghai. As soon as he entered the mansion, both he and Enishi went up to the office room, talking in hushed conversations even though it was in Mandarin, and she did not understand.

Another interesting thing she noticed was the three maids and the cook came only three days of a week, and left in the evening. One evening, after the staff left, Koishi asked Enishi why their schedule was three days a week.

After he chuckled darkly for a few seconds, he responded, "They also work for the other two mafia bosses, for they are the only ones we can thoroughly trust, so their schedule has to be broken up between three bosses."

Koishi blinked at him, and he shook his head and waved his hand in dismissal. It was none of her concern anyway.

On the days the staff was not there, Koishi heaved a sigh of relief. She did not have to endure the beautiful Chinese girl's deadly glares and sneers. She did, however, miss the cook because Enishi was the next best cook, and his food was bland.

Koishi would never admit it out loud, but Enishi's cooking tasted better than her cooking. One night she cooked dinner for both Enishi and herself. After the first inedible bite, Enishi forbade her to ever set foot in the kitchen again.

After a week and a half of nothing but Chinese food, Koishi was so tired of it she would gag just to smell the aroma. One day she refused to eat any of it, even with the Chinese man's cooking. The next day, she was so hungry that she scarfed down even the Chinese food.

Oh, what she would give for a delicious, steamy bowl of sukiyaki!

After four days since her arrival in Shanghai, the Chinese man that traveled with them came once again to Enishi's mansion; and once again, they went upstairs to discuss their business.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"What's the news from Huang?" Enishi asked in Mandarin.

"He would consider speaking with you further about your business deals," the Chinese man answered. "At his party next month." 

"Party?" Enishi repeated with a raised eyebrow. "He knows I don't like parties. Is he avoiding me?"

"I believe so," he said. "Because the party is for couples only."

"Couples?" Enishi chuckled darkly. "Now is that for married couples, or for the men who bring along their mistresses?"

"Both."

"Interesting," Enishi vocalized his thoughts. "Because he knows I'm not married, and I don't have a mistress. Now I know he is avoiding me."

"What will you do?"

"I'm thinking right now, Feng." Enishi place a hand to his chin, a habit he had even back as his twenty year old Jinchuu self.

"You could always use that girl you bought for more than a bed warmer, if you know what I mean." The Chinese man, Feng, suggested.

"That girl doesn't understand any Mandarin, not even Cantonese. She doesn't even know the required English Western language that Chinese nobles have to know."

"You have a month to teach her at least some Mandarin; enough to get her by. No one is expecting you to work miracles, especially when it comes to a woman."

Enishi paused in thought. It seemed he had no choice but to use that girl to pose as his mistress; unless he wanted to get a China woman to be his mistress. He inwardly shook his head. In his younger years, when he was crawling his way up the latter of the Chinese mafia, he had his share of a few Chinese women.

They were nice enough, but he knew they did not like his Japanese background, even if he did renounce Japan. They would lay with him only because they knew he was on his way to the top. Before, when he was just starting out, they never gave him a passing glance.

Money always talked.

"I don't have the time or patience to teach that girl." Enishi said.

"Hire a tutor."

"I don't even know if the most efficient tutor has the patience for her."

"What's wrong with her?" Feng asked as he tried to hide a smile.

"First, she has no etiquette; it makes me wonder about her parental background. Maybe they just let her run wild." Enishi answered as he remembered the way she ate; the food would fall everywhere. The way she walked sounded like an elephant stampede; he could hear where she was in the mansion, no matter how far. "She's beyond annoying."

"Then get several tutors if you must." Feng suggested. "Unless you want to get a native woman; but remember, if you do, you have to keep up appearances to avoid suspicion. The girl lives with you; I would advise you to take the easier route."

Damn, he was right. If Enishi just got a Chinese woman to pose as his mistress, that woman would have to stay with him, including living in his mansion. If he just hired a Chinese woman just for the party, and she never returned for future parties, it would cause suspicion.

Koishi would be more convenient. She already lived with him, and he could always use her training for future parties. It would not raise suspicions, and he would get his money's worth.

Enishi nodded once, heeding his partner's advice.

With the end of the conversation, Feng left. Enishi went out to seek Koishi, and found her outside where the laundry tub was, washing her pink kimono.

He saw her awkwardly moving the wash stick back and forth to wash her kimono. The wash stick was a long, thin wooden stick and the wash tub was round and also made from wood. Obviously she never used one before. She glanced at him and respectfully bowed Japanese style.

"You will learn Mandarin beginning tomorrow." Enishi commanded to a wide-eyed Koishi. "So pay close attention; he's a very strict tutor."

And he left a very confused Koishi in the washroom.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Koishi shifted in intimidation under the glare of her new tutor; a Chinese man with a no-nonsense attitude. His moustache was thin and as long as his thin beard. His Japanese was choppy, ungrammatical, and he spoke it with a heavy accent so she had to listen closer to understand.

"Zǎo Shàng Hǎo."

Koishi shifted again before nervously answering, "O genki desu ka?"

"No!" the teacher shouted and the girl jumped. "It is not 'How are you,' it is 'Good morning!'"

"Okay…" Koishi gulped.

The teacher pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and finger as if he had a migraine. He waved his hand at the girl.

"You learn basic Mandarin by one month!" he scolded. "And learn Chinese aristocratic attitude and walk! Let's start over again!"

Koishi nodded once, her legs starting to grow numb from the traditional seiza position she had been sitting in for the past twenty minutes. Even though they were sitting on cushions in the kitchen, it was still uncomfortable.

"Huan ying."

"You're welcome!"

"For what?" the teacher asking, tossing out a trick question.

"That is after a 'thank you.'"

He nodded once to confirm her translation was correct, and he continued, "My name is…"

"Wo jiao…" Koishi answered in Mandarin.

The teacher sneered and said, "You speak Chinese with you Japanese accent. Make ears hurt."

"I don't know how to mimic the Mandarin accent." Koishi complained and her teacher hit the table very close to her hands with a bamboo fan.

"You Japanese talk with you tongue behind your teeth like talking child. We proud people! We talk with mouth! Open mouth and talk!"

"Wo jiao…" Koishi repeated.

"You accent still too thick." Teacher shook his head in disgust.

"Yea?" Koishi retorted, sick of the Chinese man insulting the Japanese's beautiful language, even though a voice inside her head screamed at her not to say anything. "Well, your Chinese accent is so thick when it speaks Japanese, I can't understand hardly anything you say! It's a disgrace to my ears!"

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Enishi was just coming out of his office when he heard a ruckus coming from the kitchen, and soon followed into the main doorway where the two staircases were. He stood on the balcony of the second floor, looking down at the tutor whacking the girl with his bamboo fan.

The girl, Koishi, screamed and cussed at the tutor while he screamed at her, trying to whack her more with his bamboo fan. While they argued, Enishi could only pick up bits and pieces of their quarrel.

"And what," Enishi interrupted with a very disapproving voice. "Would you two be arguing about in my household?"

His voice echoed off the ivory plastered walls, and Koishi and the tutor stopped their bickering. They looked up at the master standing on his balcony with a dark look in his eyes.

"That girl," the tutor began as he pointed his bamboo fan at her. "Is unteachable!"

"Give me a bokken and I'll put him on his ass!" Koishi screamed.

The teacher's entire face went bright red with anger, but before he could start hitting her with his fan again, Enishi commanded, "Enough!" in a voice that the hearer would know he was master, and he was not joking.

The tutor bowed in respect, and began talking in Mandarin, none of which Koichi understood. Enishi slowly descended down the stairs as the Chinese man spoke.

Enishi replied with Mandarin words and a smile. It was not a kind, understanding smile; it was something of an insult.

The teacher nodded, bowed, and made his exit towards the kitchen. Enishi glared daggers at Koishi and spoke to her.

"Don't ever insult him again!" he scolded. "You're lucky he agreed to stay and teach you!"

"Lucky?!" Koishi sneered as her hands fisted. "He's constantly insulting our people!"

"What do I care?" Enishi asked with a wave of indifference.

"What?! We're children of the Great Sun God! Where is your Japanese pride?!"

"It died a long time ago, along with my trust in the Japanese." Enishi simply said. "Now go back and learn Mandarin, and respect your teacher no matter how he insults your pride. You may be a hard tomboy, but you certainly are not a cute one."

Koishi clicked her teeth together tightly and walked back to the kitchen, her hands still fisted. She had no idea why Enishi was putting her though this. He just confronted her in the washroom when she was washing her kimono and told her she was to learn Mandarin, but never explained why.

Koishi went back to the kitchen, bowed respectfully to the teacher, and they continued with their Mandarin lesson.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"We work on aristocrat behavior tomorrow." The teacher said as he promptly stood up without a bow. "Talk Mandarin you know to master for practice."

Koishi stood up as well and followed him out to the front door. When he was about to leave, Enishi came out of the hallway and started talking to the teacher in Mandarin. The girl shifted again, and was surprised when Enishi chuckled heartedly.

When the teacher left, Koishi turned to the "master" and asked, "What did he say?"

Still chuckling, Enishi replied, "He said that with great etiquette practice, you'll be the best-behaved girl of the slums."

Koishi's face flushed bright red as Enishi left, still chuckling.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"Chinese women walk like floating." The teacher said the next day, this time their learning room was the grand ballroom.

Koishi walked with her head high, a slight sway of her hips as she carefully placed one foot in front of the other.

"When you laugh or smile, cover up teeth. It rude to show teeth." He continued to instruct.

Koishi pretended to laugh, and she placed a hand over her mouth with her fingers.

The teacher nodded once then said, "Laugh softly, not like hyena."

Koishi's pride was once again hurt, but she carried on and laughed softly, still covering her mouth with her fingers. The teacher nodded once, and when Koishi carefully sat down, he suddenly grabbed her hand and looked at her palm.

"You hands rough. What did you do to get rough hands?"

"I practiced the sword occasionally, but not seriously."

"It bad luck for woman to pick up sword." The teacher shook his head as he released Koishi's hand.

"My mother practices the Art of the Sword." Koishi defended. "She even has a school."

"To soften hands," the teacher informed, ignoring the girl. "Dip in Chinese silk oil three times a day. No wash hands for half hour."

"I went through a lot of painful, ripping, bleeding blisters to get these slightly calloused hands." Koishi huffed. "I'm not into undoing all that training."

"It is beauty to Chinese for woman to have soft hands. Dip them in silk oil."

"What's silk oil?"

"Master will know; just ask him for silk oil."

"Alright." Koishi sighed.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Koishi would never admit it, but Chinese silk oil was very pleasant to her dry, calloused hands. She kept her hands in the oil bowl for a few more minutes. At first, she thought it was similar to cooking oil, for the consistency of it was almost exact.

Then when she felt it, Koishi knew it was not cooking oil, for silk oil felt just like that; silk. Cooking oil felt greasy. The major plus to it was the silk oil took on whatever scent a person would put into it, just like cooking with tofu. By itself, tofu is tasteless, but when a cook puts it in a broth, it tastes just like the broth. If the cook put tofu in sukiyaki, it would taste just like the wonderful beef pot stew.

By itself, the oil had no aroma, but if one would put Jasmine flowers in it, the oil would smell like Jasmine. If one would put in rose pedals, it would smell like roses.

Today it was a wonderful sent; hakubaiku.

The white plum trees outside were shedding their flowers, so Koishi took the opportunity to collect the beautiful buds of delight, and she placed them in the silk oil she had her hands in.

Koishi was trusted enough to go outside the mansion on the surrounding grounds, but not outside the gates. She thought about escaping a few times, but because of her realist nature, she never attempted it.

Escaping would be very stupid because, even though she was receiving Mandarin lessons, she did not know enough to escape. Besides that, she knew there was another language, Cantonese, which she did not know. Escaping would cause her to get lost, or worse.

Besides, it was not as if she had the worst situation, for she was sure far more girls sold the same day she was had a terrible time. Yukishiro Enishi was still an enigma to her, but she figured a few things out about him through observance.

He was very socially awkward. The man could barely hold a conversation for a few minutes, and he spent most of his days in his personal office. Maybe he did not have that many people to talk to, to interact with, and to communicate.

He was very poor at communication. He just commanded and expected it to be done.

Koishi took her hands out of the oil and wiped them on a drying cloth. She was told not to wash her hands for a half hour after her oil dip; and besides that, she loved the haikubaiku aroma coming from her hands.

She inspected her hands and noticed, since she had been dipping them in silk oil, they had become extremely soft, but not greasy. Her semi-callouses were almost nonexistent on her palms from her childhood spent practicing with a sword.

She exited the Japanese themed bathhouse, walked down the hallway, and to the front, where the twin staircases were. It was almost time for her teacher to come with another lesson. She noticed the master of the mansion sitting in a chair in the gorgeous dining room.

His head was rested in his hand, and his fingers massaged his temple as if under great stress. Suddenly, his head snapped up, and he quickly looked at Koishi with wide eyes. The girl gulped as she wondered what he was thinking.

His topaz-blue eyes narrowed at her and his nostrils flared. He quickly stood up and walked towards her as her heart pounded in her chest. What was he going to do?!

Koishi told herself she was being ridiculous because he never touched her, even after their arrival at his mansion in Shanghai. He suddenly grabbed her hand and sniffed the back side it. He frowned and abruptly shoved her hand away towards her.

"Never," he commanded in a deep, dangerous voice. "Never again wear that scent around my property."

He swiftly left; one moment he was there, she blinked, and he was gone. Koishi was thoroughly confused; if Enishi did not like the smell of hakubaiku, then why did he have hakubaiku trees growing in a row outside on his property?

Koishi shook her head and continued on with her day.

_To Be Continued…_


	5. Chapter 5

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 5_

_Koishi and the other girls were herded off the ship like cattle to the slaughterhouse. Although many of them protested, a sharp slap to the face kept them silent._

_Besides, these men had swords at their sides, and a few had guns in their Western belts. They were forced to enter a building that said "Teahouse" outside. Inside, however, it was anything but a teahouse. There were no tables; it was completely vacant._

_The only décor in the damn place was an old woman dressed in a plain, pea-green kimono. She carried a walking stick, and the girls felt an instant of relief. What kind of elderly woman would help these horrible men?_

_The elderly woman grabbed the first girl by the wrist, and when she protested, the old hag wacked her good with her walking stick._

_No one protested after that, save for the spunky tomboy._

_They were forced to lift up their kimonos and lie down so the old hag could check for their virginity. Koishi was the only one who kept protesting, even after the elderly hag hit her several times with her walking stick. It took a while before she could find proof of Koishi's virginity._

_The eight girls were separated; two girls went left, and the rest went to the right. Koishi was herded with the girls who went right._

_Koishi was degraded, humiliated, and just wanted to go home. She was the only one who had the spark to still fight those evil people to the bitter end…_

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Koishi found herself once again in a horse drawn carriage with her master, Enishi. She sat across from him again, only he was the one with his eyes closed.

She doubted he was asleep, even with his even breathing. Where they were going, she had no idea. He just told her to get dressed, escorted her out to the front of his property, out the gate, and to the awaiting carriage.

She had to admit, it felt great to finally be out of the mansion after her half month stay since her arrival. Her master seemed not to mind staying in the place, although he was not much for company. She was so lonely she honestly longed for the maids' arrival days; even the beautiful Chinese girl with the long braid who shot her dirty looks was better company than Enishi!

They had lived like that since she arrived. He was a hermit in his library, or office and she never crossed the line to his territory, no matter the amount of her loneliness.

She would often gather the roses from outside and bring them inside, put them in glass vases with water filled in them, and place them in various places in the mansion to bring in some color and brighten the dreary mood.

The master of the house noticed the simple décor in his residency, and he simply raised an eyebrow, but otherwise ignored it. Once, the young woman complemented the roses with the hakubaiku flowers. He went crazy, knocking the vases over, sometimes throwing them against the wall, and screamed at her to keep the flowers outside.

She never decorated the mansion with any flowers after that.

Koishi was once again dressed in her pink kimono, the one she was wearing when she was kidnapped, and when Enishi bought her and took her to Shanghai. Although it was clean, the color was starting to fade away. She did not want to wear anything but a Chinese bathrobe around the mansion every day, especially when that other man, Feng, comes around sometimes unannounced.

The only sounds in the carriage were the clicking of the horses' hooves and the wheels of the carriage as it moved down the dirt road. The buildings started to become more frequent as they moved further into the city.

The carriage did not go down the road towards the docks where they first came from. Instead, they went down another dirt street where buildings were practically built touching each other like sardines in a can.

Finally, the carriage stopped in front of a small building, the name outside was written in either Mandarin or Cantonese; so Koishi could not read it. When the carriage stopped, Enishi's eyes instantly opened. The door opened, he got out, and then Koishi got out with the help of the carriage driver.

Enishi gave the driver a few coins, the driver bowed, and left. There was a group of children playing in the street, and they stopped, watching in amazement as the carriage drove off. The children then looked at the duo that could afford a carriage, and admired them from a distance.

Koishi looked around the busy city in amazement. There were streets crowded with all sorts of Chinese residents, and she spotted a few Westerners. In the streets there were men who pulled carts on two wheels, the carts made for people to sit in, and some of them had passengers seated in them as the Chinese men ran, pulling the cart with them.

The children in the street were still staring at the duo, and Koishi smiled without showing her teeth as she slightly bowed to them. The children looked surprised at first, and then started walking towards them. Someone grabbed Koishi, and she gave a short cry of surprise, and she was promptly shoved into the building they stopped in front of.

Koishi turned to see Enishi glaring dangerously down at her. Frustrated, she asked, "What did I do wrong now?"

"You invited them to beg."

"Is that so wrong?" Koishi retorted. "They're children! Have a little mercy!"

"That life!" Enishi snapped. "I was never shown any mercy as child, either!"

"Yet you survived." She noted. "There must have been something that would make you want to live. Or were you shown just a small amount of mercy?"

He stiffened at her on-target observation and he regarded her with those cold blue-topaz eyes. Then there was a small cough from someone in the building.

Koishi saw a woman in the middle of the room, waiting patiently for their quarrel to be done. She saw the woman was a middle aged woman, but her gnarled hands looked incredibly old and arthritic.

The woman bowed politely, and Koishi responded, as was taught to her by her teacher, earning her a closed-lip smile from the woman. Enishi was a man, so he did not have to bow to the woman. If the shop owner had been a man, he would have bowed.

As Enishi and the woman talked, Koishi looked around the small room. It was filled with all colors and sorts of fabric. It ranged from bright sky-blue, yellow, black; so many colors to count. To the very left, against the wall were three outfits made.

One outfit Koishi had seen on a few Chinese men in passing. It looked like a long sleeved, full body coat with Chinese cloth buttons straight down the front; it also came with color matching pants, or bloomers. Her teacher called it "changshan."

Then there were two other outfits hanging with the changshan; one looked like a long robe, and the other looked very similar to a Japanese kimono. Of course, Koishi instantly fell in love with the kimono look alike.

It was long sleeved, just like the traditional kimono of an unmarried woman, complete with an obi belt, and the obi cord, only this outfit had the cord tied in front. Instead of the robe closing all the way, the front top was left agape with a sleeveless dress under it. Over the sleeveless dress, the robe itself was to put be worn.

"She wants to take your measurements." Enishi said.

Koishi turned and saw the middle aged woman with a body measurement band in her hands. She started to measure all of her body; her arms, her arms eagle spread, her waist, bust, neck, and full length of her body.

Koishi looked at Enishi with great confusion, to which he ignored. He and the woman continued to talk, and Koishi stood, feeling out of place.

"What style would you like your dress to be?" Enishi asked Koishi.

"What?" Koishi asked, now more confused.

Enishi pointed to the clothes hanging on the wall next to them. Koishi pointed to the kimono look-alike. He rolled his eyes and muttered, "Should've known she would've chosen that."

He talked more to the woman, whom Koishi now knew was a tailor, or dress maker. Enishi turned back to the girl and translated, "The one you chose is called a 'hanfu,' and it's not very popular to wear now. The one that is popular is that one; it's more Manchurian."

He pointed to the one that looked like a long robe. Koishi thought it looked hideous. She looked at her master with a raised eyebrow. He stared back at her without looking away; neither one backing down. Finally, she sighed and said, "Fine; the Manchurian."

Enishi stared at Koishi for a few more seconds before he turned to the tailor and spoke to her. The seamstress nodded her head and wrote Chinese calligraphy on a paper before she spoke again. Enishi answered, and she looked at him with a shocked face.

She sputtered her words, but Enishi calmly took out a few Yuan coins and handed them to her. The woman stared at the coins before she nodded and vigorously bowed.

He turned once again to Koishi and asked, "What two colors do you prefer?"

Koishi looked at the various colors; there were so much to choose from! Enishi said two fabrics to choose, so… One fabric was red with a black outline border. It was decorated with Chinese blue roses. She pointed to that fabric and Enishi nodded.

"One more fabric to choose."

She continued to look around, and then her eyes landed on a beautiful sunshine yellow silk fabric, decorated with greenish-blue flowers that looked like hakubaiku.

"I like this one." Koishi answered.

Enishi looked at the fabric, looked at Koishi with a raised eyebrow, and back at the fabric. He pointed to the fabric and talked to the woman before he said to Koishi, "We're done."

They exited the tailor shop and walked down the crowded dirt road, Koishi followed behind Enishi. She tried to keep up, but she was being pushed further away from him by shoving people. She did not know how he did it, but he was able to walk in a straight line, and it was as if the Shanghai citizens moved away from him.

For Koishi, however, they did not pay any mind to an insignificant, tiny girl like her. She was of no importance, and she got lost in the crowd. Finally, Enishi appeared and grabbed her upper arm and practically dragged her along.

"Remember what I said when you got off the ship?" Enishi reminded. "Stay close so you don't get lost."

Koishi immediately locked arms with Enishi as he made his way through the crowd once again. At the end of the street, he maneuvered them to walk towards the docks.

Their destination was a message office and she stood a bit away so he could send a message, but close enough so she did not get lost. The message office was right next to docks, and there was a ship in port, just like the one they sailed on to get to the city.

She felt him approach and she turned to him with a frown but suddenly asked, "Can I ask you a question that has been bothering me for a while now?" Without waiting for a response, she trailed on, "Why do you have hakubaiku on your property, and yet you seem to despise the aroma?"

Koishi stared at her owner, and for the first time since she met him, she really saw him. His head was slightly bowed, but his topaz-blue eyes were distant. They were so far away with solemnness, and she saw a very vulnerable man.

She did not know why, but her heart went out to him, even if she did not know the reason, or reasons, for such a deep, unfathomable sadness.

And as soon as she saw it, the vulnerability was gone, and the hardened man within came to the surface.

Enishi looked at her, his vulnerability was completely gone, and the mask was now back in place. He raised an eyebrow at her before he said, "I like hakubaiku."

"Then why did you tell me to never wear that scent again?"

"I don't have to tell you anything." Enishi retorted as he waved his hand.

"Fine." She said and she stared out to the ocean blue; far beyond those waters was Japan. It was already late spring and the sakura festivals were already over. Everyone was more than likely preparing for the summer festivals to come.

"Don't even think about it." Enishi said with his low baritone voice.

"I won't ever stop." Koishi retorted as she looked up at him. "I will go back to Japan one day, even if it takes years from now. I will never stop fighting this fate." She inhaled deeply and then said, "However, I will, for now, continue to stay with you and help you with your endeavors…whatever they are."

And she offered him a kind smile. Enishi just stared at his companion without emotion, but as he stared, he could not help but notice that smiling suits her face better. Usually, she had a brooding or confused face; she was always guarded. Now that she smiled, her face looked…more beautiful. There was a touch of a sparkle in her eyes when her lips were pulled back, and she seemed to glow with elation.

…And he suddenly wanted to always see her smile.

_To Be Continued…_

AN: I know; it seems like I'm pussyfooting around, but this was the turning point for Enishi and Koishi (short chapter, I know), and the next chapter will continue to be their turning point, and then chapter seven will start the plot you've all probably been waiting for…I am I right?

I hope I made their turning point as obvious as a few other plot devices in this story. Seriously, when I was reading your comments, I literally did a head slam onto my computer desk and thought, "Damn, they figured it out; maybe I'm just too obvious."


	6. Chapter 6

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 6_

Koishi's teach tapped his bamboo fan on the floor of the grand ballroom to snap her out of her revere. She blinked and looked at her teacher's stern face, which prompted her to bow in apology.

"I'm sorry, teacher." Koishi verbally apologized in near fluent Mandarin. "My mind was wondering."

The teacher nodded his head with a sharp snap before he said, also in Mandarin, "You have progressed well in just one month and I'm very impressed. I don't say that very often about my students. We're nearing the end of our lessons."

Koishi bowed respectfully to her teacher.

"However," the teacher continued. "I've noticed your mind wondering has been increasing. What is wrong?"

"I'm just wondering what the master was thinking, placing me as your pupil to learn Mandarin and Chinese etiquette."

"I already know you're not going to enjoy this answer, but I will say it anyway. Your master is just that; your master. His mind and decisions are his own; he is a man and doesn't have to share them with you, a woman."

Koishi's eyebrow twitched; she did not like that answer at all. That was society, however; the man did not have to tell the woman anything about what his mind was thinking.

"He is a man." The teacher continued. "You must trust him and follow him."

"I don't even know him." Koishi protested. "I don't know anything about him."

"Trust him and follow him." The teacher concluded. "The fates have brought you together for a reason; at least trust and follow that."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

She was all alone in the huge mansion. Literally all alone; no cook, no maids, and no Enishi. He had left right after breakfast without any word, not that he would have told her even if he was willing to let her in on his plans.

She found out he was gone when she went into the hermit's office, but no sign of him. Koishi did not enter the office with any intent except to ask him if she could look at his various books to seek a Japanese written one.

There were no Japanese books on the shelves, but when she saw his desk, and saw a rather old book there, she opened it and was relieved to see Japanese calligraphy beautifully written on the pages.

It was not a publish book, rather, it was a book held together by two old cords. The pages were lightly yellowed with age, the edges were slightly tattered, and when she saw the date, 1863, she was very impressed by how well preserved the book was.

As Koishi read the first page, she realized it was a diary entry. A woman, by the chosen feminine Japanese words, plus, she wrote what seemed to be excitement for finally being engaged to a man named Kiyosato Akira.

Koishi was so intrigued by the diary and the details of this woman's wonderful, happy life that she never heard anyone come in; besides that, she left the door opened. She suddenly found herself violently shoved away from the desk and the diary, and on the floor by the window.

"Did I say you can come in here?!"

Koishi knew that voice to be Enishi, but she never heard him raise his voice in such a way. She looked up at him, her legs drawn up to her chest, and she could feel herself shake as he looked down at her with murderously dangerous eyes.

"How dare you touch that diary!"

Koishi swallowed dryly before she replied, "I-I'm sorry; I, uh, I was looking for s-something to do, or read. There-there weren't any Japanese books except that one…"

Enishi practically snarled as he stalked over to Koishi, and she put her arms up, awaiting a blow; but it never came. She stole a very brief glance at him, and he was standing over her with his eyes closed, his breathing deep.

Enishi saw his sister, unsmiling of course, but she closed her eyes and turned her back to her little brother. That hurt him worse than all her unsmiling images; she turned her back to him!

_Nee-san!_

Enishi's eyes were covered by his white-haired bangs and he whispered, "Get out."

Koishi hesitated, wondering what just came over him, and he once again spoke in a soft voice, "Get out now."

She finally stood up with a quick apology and left the room, closing the door behind her. She all but ran down the hall to the east wing, to the Japanese themed room she had been given to reside in, and locked herself up in there for the rest of the day.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

It was late in the evening; the sun was casting orange hues across the sky as in sank over the horizon. Finally, a knock came at her bedroom door.

Koishi hesitated, but she got up to answer it. When she opened the door, she saw Enishi standing in the hallway, holding two boxes. His was more or less back to his calm self, but his eyes were dramatically more tired.

"Here," Enishi simply said and held out the two boxes. "The reason I left, to get the tailored clothes for you."

"Tailored clothes?" Koishi repeated. "I thought there was only one."

Enishi made an attempt to smirk ruefully, but failed miserably; Koishi said nothing about it.

"I decided to splurge a bit." Enishi answered.

Koishi gingerly accepted the boxes and bowed her gratefulness. As he was leaving, she said, "Enishi!" to gain his attention.

Enishi stopped, but did not turn to face Koishi. She hesitated, opening and closing her mouth several times. There were so many things she wanted to ask him, but she settled with, "Are you alright?"

"Aa." Was his only reply before he retreated into his fortress of solitude.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"What? 'Sleep until noon?' I've never done that a day in my life! I'm always an early riser!"

Enishi sighed impatiently. Gods above, this girl is impossible! It took him a few seconds before he calmly replied, "Just stay awake as long as possible so you'll sleep until noon."

"Why do I need to sleep until noon? Please, at least answer that."

Enishi glared at Koishi from across the table as they ate. He gracefully placed his chopsticks down before he answered, "Tomorrow night we're going to a…sort of a ball. It goes on to very late hours of the night. It's very important. You remember Mandarin, right?"

"Hai…" Koishi replied with new-found nervousness.

She had never in her life been to a ball, especially with high class people like Enishi. How was she supposed to behave? Then she remembered the etiquette and Mandarin lessons. That was what he had been planning the whole time.

"Which dress should I wear?" Koishi asked.

"Whichever one you want."

"But you and the dressmaker said the Manchurian dress is the most popular."

"Then wear that one."

"It…has a very big hat décor that goes with it." Koishi said with a sour face.

"Create your own style then. The women in this society have so much time to themselves to think of new ways to reinvent themselves. Do your own thing, and maybe the other women will follow. Just don't do anything stupid."

That was what Koishi was afraid of; doing something stupid. She was born with her father's misfortune in life, and due to that undeniable fact, she was bound to do something incredibly stupid. Nevertheless, she swallowed and gave a shaky smile.

After breakfast, Koishi decided to try on the Manchurian dress, which came with the ever so popular bloomers. The dress was made from the one of the silk fabrics she chose; the black one with the red boarders on the seams, decorated with Chinese blue roses. She put the hat décor on and felt so foolish.

It did not help one bit when she showed Enishi and he flat out laughed so hard he could barely breathe. She did not know which was scarier; his usual demeanor or his laughter. Although she did flush when she noticed that a genuine smile made his face more handsome.

Koishi decided she would not wear that outfit for the ball tomorrow. Besides, when she wore it, aside from feeling foolish, she felt like she was a walking throw rug.

That afternoon, she realized something completely obvious, but never thought of it until then.

"Something I forgot to ask," Koishi asked with a dry whisper. "Do we have to dance?"

"There will be certain types of dancing, but I don't dance; so don't worry about it."

"What if one of the men at the ball asks me to dance?"

Enishi paused and then shrugged.

"Just tell them they have to get my approval."

"Oh, yes," Koishi stated dryly. "Because I'm your property."

"No," Enishi emphasized very sternly. "Remember, you're posing as my mistress, or lover."

Koishi's cheeks burned a deep rouge color, but nodded anyway. What was the use of arguing? She was just a foreigner in this country; she did not know her way around, or know anyone besides Enishi. It was just best to listen to what he commanded…even though she resented it.

Besides that, it could have been worse for her. Enishi never forced Koishi into anything sexual; he never touched her once since she had lived with him for an entire month. The fates spared her that much; most of the girls that were bought, from what she understood, were used up by their purchasers and then sold back, only to be forced into prostitution.

At least he treated her like a person.

"Don't be anxious." Enishi reassured. "Sleep well tonight."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

It was strange for Koishi to awake when the sun was in the middle of the sky. As soon as she arose, she went downstairs to the Japanese themed bathhouse and bathed.

Just when she got her Chinese robe on, the door opened without a polite knock, and Enishi stood in the doorway. Koishi's face turned light pink when she thought that, if a second earlier, her master would have gotten a beaver shot.

"First rule of these show-off get togethers are," Enishi stated with heavy resentment, not bothered that he almost saw the girl naked. "Eat before the event. They serve very little food there; it's more like fancy finger food. So, let's eat now."

After they ate, the hours ticked by.

"By the way," Enishi said to Koishi. "Do you know how to fix your face and hair?"

"Why does my face need to be fixed?" Koishi frowned.

"Your face needs what little help it can get."

The young woman frowned deeply and retorted, "Oh really? Well, your hair looks like you dried it vigorously with a towel, it came out fluffy, and then you rearranged it."

There was not much she could say about his face, for his was a very handsome man.

Enishi chuckled as he walked away without an answer. Koishi turned tail and went into her room and wondered what she would do to fix herself. All she knew what to do was fix her hair up in a high ponytail or braid.

With a renounced sigh, she brushed her hair back, divided it into three sections, and began to wrap them together, looping one after the other.

As she wrapped, Koishi allowed her mind to wonder; and it wandered to Japan.

She thought of her family and friends, whom were also like family to her, and how she missed them dearly. She wondered if she would ever see them again, and wondered if they thought she was dead. It had been a month since she had been missing; they probably thought death was her fate.

Even though that thought disturbed Koishi, she also hoped that her family and friends thought she were dead. Believing that she were dead would be only an instant of pain, a period of mourning, a time of acceptance, and living on with their lives.

Believing she was still alive would only make her family suffer with questions; how was she, was she hurt, was she suffering; it would torment them for as long as they never saw her.

Believing she was dead would be much more merciful for them.

It was perfectly fine for Koishi to suffer with those questions about her family and friends for the rest of her life, but not her loved ones. It's perfectly fine for her to be tormented as long as she never saw them again, but not them.

Koishi felt a wetness roll down her cheeks, and she quickly wiped them away. She had thought of her loved ones every day since she had been kidnapped, sold, and brought to Shanghai. She cried every night for them and longed for them within the confines of her heart.

She would not cry during the day.

Koishi did not have the courage to look at herself in the mirror. Instead, she quickly stood up to get dressed.

Koishi got the second box out, the one Enishi gave to her, and opened the lid. There, folded so neatly, was a hanfu. Gratefulness filled her, for she knew both the hanfu and Manchurian dresses probably cost her owner a great deal; both materials were made from silk so soft, it was almost like water.

She took out the hanfu, made from the material she picked out; bright sky-blue with sunshine yellow seams, and the seams were decorated with bluish-green flowers that looked like hakubaiku.

She put the under skirt on first, which was a matching sky-blue, also silk, and the matching outer robe, which went to the length of her outer hips. She tucked the robe into the cloth belt, which was similar to putting on a Japanese kimono.

Finally, Koishi put the hanfu on, and wrapped the sunshine-yellow cloth around her waist, and secured it behind her.

She did not look herself over in a mirror for fear it would cause her insecurities to raise their ugly heads. Instead, she walked over to the hermit's office and knocked on the door.

"Enter."

She opened the door slowly and saw Enishi standing in front of his desk, his face in complete seriousness and thought. Koishi stood fully in front of her owner, and at first he just stared at her with no emotion on his poker face.

As he looked her up and down, however, Enishi's face became very amused. His lips even opened to crack a smile as a single chuckle arose in his throat.

"The hanfu isn't meant to be worn like a Japanese kimono." He informed her.

Enishi walked up to Koishi and started to untie the cloth cord. Her heart lurched in her chest and started pounding as she felt him undress her. He did not, however, take the outer hanfu robe off. Instead, he re-positioned it to hang loose, and then he tied the cloth cord back into place, only in the front.

"I know that with Japanese kimonos," Enishi informed. "You tuck the extra length up and tie the obi around it, but with the hanfu, you allow the outer garment to hang loosely at full length."

"So, it's the opposite of wearing a kimono." Koishi said.

"I guess."

"You know that tying the 'obi' in the front is the sign of a prostitute, right?"

"The rules here are different." He informed as he stared at the unknown color in her irises. What color was it?!

"Wait," the young woman started as realized something. "How did you know the proper way women wore their kimono?"

"One more thing," Enishi added, ignoring her as he placed a gentle finger under her chin to raise her head up a tad. "Don't talk too much."

Koishi could only stiffly nod as she tensed at the touch of his calloused finger.

It was late evening before it was time to leave; the Eye of Heaven had already left his realm, leaving only dark red hues in his wake.

Once downstairs, she saw Enishi waiting for her by the front entrance. She stopped at the foot of the second staircase and looked him over.

Enishi was wearing a Chinese changshan, the length went all the way down to his lower calves; the robe was black in color with bright red hems at his sleeves. His pants under the changshan were also black, and he was wearing white Chinese tabi socks with black Chinese cloth shoes.

Koishi did not want to admit it, but she noticed how handsome Enishi was, despite the terrible aura from him; like he was going to execute a prisoner. What irked her so was the round, dark lensed spectacles he wore when he purchased her, and some sort of earing in his left ear.

She had seen that symbol before, white and black merging together in a never ending circle, but she could not place where.

"Ikazu." Enishi said, and Koishi got her black Chinese cloth shoes on her feet.

They walked out to the waiting carriage, which came all the way up to the front of the mansion this time. The driver opened the door for them, Enishi got inside, and the driver helped Koishi get in. He closed the carriage door and a few moments later, they were moving.

Koishi noticed the carriage curtains inside were drawn closed, unlike during the daytime when they were always opened. Maybe it was because there were four lit lanterns on the four ceiling corners of the carriage. Of course, the lanterns were small and the flame was enclosed in glass cases so as to prevent fire.

Koishi turned her attention to the man seated in front of her. His face was illuminated by the lanterns and gave her the impression of a tiger waiting patiently for the kill.

"Is there something interesting about me?"

Koishi dipped her head down in embarrassment and swirled her fingers together. She tried to think of anything to say other than to admit she had been gawking. Then she remembered…

"What is that in your ear?"

"An earring." Enishi answered.

Koishi huffed before she clarified, "I mean the symbol; I've seen it before."

"It's a yin and yang."

The answer was simple enough, but Koishi questioned more.

"What's yin and yang?"

"Yin and yang is the belief of balance; the balance of nature, the balance of man and woman…the balance of good and evil."

"Like a justice scale."

"Almost," Enishi continued. "It's more like positive begets negative, man begets woman, and good begets evil, but there's always a balance."

"How can good beget evil? Isn't it the other way around?"

When Enishi answered, his eyes were far away as if seeing something else.

"Good intentions can beget evil, like a cycle. If a man's good intentions hadn't led him to become a bodyguard, he wouldn't have gotten himself killed, leaving a painfully grieving fiancée behind. If the fiancée hadn't wanted so much to destroy the evil that killed her fiancée, her good intentions wouldn't have led her to fall in love with that evil, causing her to sacrifice her life. If her good intended sacrifice hadn't happened, then her brother wouldn't have been driven to ten years of insanity."

When Enishi's eyes came back into focus, he saw Koishi staring at him, perplexed. He saw her thinking about his anonymous story.

"What happened to the brother?"

"As I said, he had a ten year insanity streak."

"Is he well now?"

"No," Enishi said. "He is not well. He has nothing left after he built himself up for revenge against that evil his sister sacrificed herself for. He had even lost her smile and had been trying to get it back for seventeen years."

"Why is he unhappy if he knows that his sister wanted to sacrifice her life for the other?"

"He has nothing and no one left."

"Maybe," Koishi suggested. "Maybe, to be happy, he needs to do some soul searching."

"Oh, he did that already at the Fallen Village."

"What did he come up with?"

Enishi remained silent, so Koishi continued, "Maybe his sister will smile for him again if the brother can be happy with the rest of his life."

"Happiness is impossible." He informed darkly. "Eventually, misery will come."

"Happiness will come to you if you allow it."

"My happiness died years ago."

Koishi looked towards the window even though it was covered with a red velvet curtain. "You have a right to be happy, Enishi." She informed in a soft voice. "Everyone has that right."

"Really?" Enishi said with a raised eyebrow. "Can you honestly say you're happy right now?"

She hesitated, but sincerely answered, "I'm not at my happiest, but I'm not utterly miserable."

"Tch," he continued with a tisk. "Even with your nightmares at night, you're not miserable?"

Koishi blinked; again, how did he know about that?

"After what happened to me," she answered. "Nightmares are unavoidable ."

"You don't hate the people who kidnapped you?" Enishi asked with amazement, although he would never admit it. "You don't desire vengeance?"

"I don't like what they did, but it happened." Koishi stated after she looked back at her carriage companion. "I just have to let it go. It's too much effort to hate someone; just breathe and let it go."

_To Be Continued…_

AN: No, Koishi doesn't know about Enishi's story, she only suspects that it was Enishi talking about himself; however, she can't confirm it, so she goes along with Enishi.

I know it seems Enishi is like a light switch; on and off, up and down, but he is fighting that other side of him which is his twenty-year old self. So, he tends to have mood swings.

Another note, Enishi is not stupid; he just doesn't have the time, or patience, to figure out who Koishi is, and why she looks so familiar.


	7. Chapter 7

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 7_

The duo arrived, but Koishi could not see anything due to the carriage curtains being drawn closed. The driver opened the carriage door, however, and Enishi got out first.

He turned around and held out his hand. Koishi, for a moment, looked at Enishi, to his hand, and she gratefully accepted. His hands felt calloused, not dry, but calloused just the same on his palm below his fingers. The rest of his skin around his hand felt hardened, and not delicate in the least. They were defiantly the hands of an experienced swordsman.

He helped her down from the carriage and when she stood, she straightened and brushed down her hanfu while her owner gave a few coins to the carriage driver.

Koishi observed the place they came to; it was a very extravagant mansion!

The owner did not have an extent of land like Enishi's property, however; it was enough land to have an impressive amount, with the iron throw gate still in view of the mansion. There was no long pathway of hakubaiku like there was with her owner's property.

The mansion was built to be higher off the ground and had four huge marble steps leading to the double doors at the front of the place. There were more windows at this mansion than there were at Enishi's mansion, and it included what looked like two Western styles castle towers at the very ends of the west and east wing.

With further observation, Koishi noticed how well lit the outside was, despite the darkness. Everywhere, even hanging on wires above them were Chinese white paper lanterns, all of them lit. She could hear some sort of soft symphony music inside and various murmuring of conversations.

Enishi came beside Koishi and held his arm out towards her. When she blinked at him, he clarified, in a low voice, "We enter arm in arm and I introduce you to the ones curious enough to inquire about you."

Of course; she was posing as his mistress, or lover. That was probably why he helped her down from the carriage; to keep up appearances.

Koishi nodded once and looped her arm around Enishi's arm and he set a steady pace for them both. The various people gathered outside looked at the white-haired man entering, and Koishi noticed all of them recognized him, and some, after that initial recognition, had faces of contempt.

When they saw her, however, their faces became curious as they watched the couple walk by. Koishi felt her insecurities rise and her heart pounded with anxiety. She clutched Enishi's arm a bit tighter, but the added pressure did not seem to affect him.

Immediately inside the mansion, through the opened double doors, there was a grand ballroom and two hallways on the left and right side. There were various people in beautiful, traditional Chinese clothes. Even though Koishi thought it looked ridiculous, she saw that the Mandarin clothes were indeed the most popular to wear.

On the far walls were very long tables, covered with white cloths, and had various foods on the table, set on silver platters. There were a few Chinese people walking though the crowds, carrying those silver platters and the guests would pick the food up from the platters and eat it.

In the far corner of the grand ballroom, Koishi saw where the soft symphony was coming from; there was a group of four Chinese men playing some kind of Western wooden and stringed instruments. Some gave a high pitch, and the big wooden stringed instrument gave a low pitch.

As soon as Enishi and Koishi entered the mansion, a very handsome Chinese man with dark, doe-like eyes approached them. He looked like his face had been chiseled by the most talented artist and he wore a royal-blue changshan. His face was in between long and round, causing an oval shape. His nose was perky, his lips were thin, but moist, and they were always smiling pleasantly. His eyes were dark brown and the perfect almond-shaped, and the lights always seem to attract them, causing them to shimmer. His ebony-black hair was shiny, but not greasy and it was long, although braided back.

He looked as if he was in his mid to late thirties.

The handsome Chinese man was flanked by a very short, round Chinese man. His face was round, his eyes were squinty, pig-like, and his cheeks were puffy like a chipmunk with a few acorns in its mouth.

"Hu." The handsome man greeted, eyes locked on Enishi, even if the Chinese man was a foot shorter than the white haired Japanese man.

"Huang Shi." Enishi greeted back with a slight bow to the host of the ball.

"What're you doing here, Hu?" the Chinese man, Huang, asked.

Koishi frowned to herself; she never heard that word, "Hu," during her Mandarin lessons and she wondered if it was an offensive word.

"You told Feng that I could come."

"This is a couple's only party." Huang reminded with a smile. "I do, however, see you brought a young woman. Is this a long lost cousin?"

The pig man snorted with laughter, not bothering to hold it back. Enishi smiled as well, but it was not his usual smirks; it was a Cheshire cat grin and it scared Koishi. She could only compare that smile to a homicidal maniac grinning his delight before bring death to his victim; or at least making a mental note to kill the person he smiled at.

The pig man noticed it and he immediately straightened up with absolute seriousness. The handsome man, Huang, seemed unfazed by it. Then again, Koishi sensed Huang had a very good poker face; a poker face with a pleasant smile.

"This is my lover, Koishi," Enishi introduced.

"Ni hao, Koishi," Huang greeted her in Mandarin. "I'm Huang."

Koishi bowed respectfully and said, in a low, feminine voice, "Nice to meet you, too, sir."

Her response was near perfect Mandarin, but there was a touch of an accent to it, however, and Huang heard it.

"Ni cong na li lai?" (Where are you from?)

"I'm from Japan, sir." Koishi answered as she tried desperately to keep herself in check.

"Yet, you know Mandarin." Huang stated, impressed.

"Shi." (Yes)

As Huang studied Koishi with great interest, he leaned in closer to her, and even though he was shorter than Enishi, she was still shorter than Huang, so she had to tilt her head a few degrees to keep her eyes on his face. She widened her eyes in surprise with his face so close to her face. She could also feel Enishi stiffen even more beside her.

"What unusual eyes you have." Huang said. "They're blue, but then turn…some other color towards the pupil."

"I'm sorry my eyes displease you, sir." Koishi said, still with a soft voice.

"Oh, on the contrary, my dear," Huang said with a kind smile. "They're very intriguing."

Enishi cleared his throat and said, "Perhaps you would allow Koishi to enjoy the rest of the evening."

"Of course," Huang agreed, still smiling pleasantly at Koishi, his eyes never leaving her face. "Why don't you stay in the company of Gang?"

Koishi looked at the pig man that Huang motioned to and she felt her anxiety rise more; she did not like that man. Still, she bowed politely to him.

"Let us also enjoy the evening, Hu." Huang said and Enishi followed him.

After they were gone, the pig man, Gang, smiled at Koishi. She trembled from her anxiety, but she smiled, closed lipped, and pretended to be more interested in the food, so she walked over to the two long tables located against the far wall.

So far her misfortune had not come back and caused her to make a fool of herself. She hoped she could only keep it up until her and Enishi left.

"Are you enjoying the evening?" Gang asked, who followed the girl, and asked in perfect Japanese.

Koishi looked at the pig man with great surprise, and he chuckled while confirming, "I fluently know the Japanese language so you don't have to keep up with appearances to me."

"Your Japanese is very impressive, sir." Koishi complemented, continuing the conversation in Japanese.

"Arigatou."

Koishi only smiled kindly and pretended to examine the food. She looked up at the glass window behind the food tables and saw a Japanese beauty looking at her from outside. Her ebony hair was pulled back into a braid, but her bangs framed her face perfectly. Her face was flawless with a rouge blush to her cheeks, long, dark eyelashes, and full, dark ruby painted lips.

Koishi blinked at the girl, and simultaneously, the girl in the window blinked too. She frowned and the window girl frowned too. It was then that she realized the Japanese girl was herself.

"The master seems to have an interest in you." Gang stated.

Koishi smiled politely before replying, "I'm flattered."

"You should be," Gang said. "He's a very powerful man with an iron grip on both Eastern and Western governments."

"He does sound powerful." Koishi agreed.

"More powerful than that Japanese bastard." Gang pointed out. "No offense to you, miss."

"None taken." Koishi lied.

"I am not degrading the Japanese as a people, rather, only him; Hu." Gang clarified. "How did you end up with him?"

Even though she smiled, Koishi's anxiety, once again, came up as she tried to think of a story as quick as possible.

"I met him in Japan," Koishi started. "He was visiting, and I was…quite taken by him. He had to leave quickly for other business here in Shanghai, so I followed him. I've been living with him ever since."

"It's just interesting that in the previous month, Hu had no lover, and now here you are; his lover."

"As I said, I was quite taken by Hu-sama." She replied, going along with the name the Shanghai residents called Enishi.

"Hu-sama?"

Koishi's anxiety hit the roof. Did she say something wrong? Oh wait; they were supposed to be lovers. Her brain worked overtime to quickly come up with an excuse.

"Yes," Koishi said, going along with it. "Hu-sama; he's a land owner, is he not?"

"Yes." Gang reluctantly agreed.

"So he's a lord."

"Yes."

"So, he's Hu-sama, right?"

"To you, yes, but to us, he's a cold, cruel, heartless bastard no matter how much land he owns."

Now Koishi's curiosity overcame her anxiety.

"Oh, Gang-san, surely you must be mistaken."

"No," Gang smiled cruelly. "When he came here to Shanghai, as a boy, he was drinking out of muddy puddles, eating dead carcasses, getting beat to an inch of his life for stealing food off a food cart. Finally, a wealthy Japanese family took him in and took care of him. They brought him back to good health after his struggling in the streets. That was how he acquired a fraction of the wealth he has now."

Koishi nodded; maybe Enishi invested the money and his wealth grew.

"I'm just curious, sir," Koishi began. "Hu-sama doesn't seem like the type to openly share his life story. How is it you know this about him?"

"A fellow Shanghai policeman told the master, Huang, when he wanted to do a little research on Hu when Hu was a young, rash, violent tempered man soon coming into power of a Shanghai mafia branch."

"He has never been rash around me, sir." Koishi politely defended, although that was not entirely true.

"Maybe Hu has been granted some wisdom in his older age, but when he was younger, he was rash."

Again, Koishi's curiosity peeked.

"If I am allowed to know," she said. "Please give me an example of how rash he was."

"He bedded down Huang's willing young wife, making her moan aloud like a whore; even the servants were ashamed to hear her cries of pleasure."

Koishi felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment for the woman. In both Chinese and Japanese now Westernized culture, sex was for men. The women were to remain silent during the process of the man's fulfillment. Only whores and mistresses moaned and cried in pleasure. For wives, it was very shameful. Not only that, but even for a man to commit adultery with another man's wife was just asking for trouble, and risking his own life if the husband decided to take revenge.

"That is very rash," Koishi agreed. "What happened to Huang's wife?"

"She committed suicide from her shame and jumped off a bridge."

"I'm very sorry to hear that." Koishi said genuinely. "What happened to the Japanese family that took care of Hu-sama?"

Gang's smile turned wicked, even cruel when he answered.

"The bastard killed the family that took care of him; the man, the woman, the boy, and even the infant girl."

Koishi felt a feeling, like a kick in the gut, a sharp tug on the heart, and then felt some part of her die inside her. She knew her eyes widened, saw Gang's cruel smile grow, but she did not see the Chinese girl come up behind her in time.

Koishi briefly registered for that mere second that the beautiful Chinese girl with the long braid looked strikingly familiar. She carried a silver platter, filled up with food, and, Koishi did not know if it was on purpose or not, "crashed" into Koishi, spilling all the goopy food all over her ebony locks and her beautiful hanfu.

The silver platter landed on the floor with a loud crash, and everything went dead silent; even the musicians stopped playing and everyone's attention was on her.

And her father's misfortune, which he passed to her, reared its ugly head.

Koishi did not know what she looked like now, but she felt some goopy food drip from her ebony hair down to her once beautiful hanfu. She felt her face burn red hot and she heard the snickering of a few guests.

She saw the beautiful Chinese girl who caused her embarrassment, and recognized her as one of Enishi's hired maids; the girl who always gave her dirty looks. The maid started laughing, her hand covering her mouth, and Gang, behind Koishi, started laughing as well.

Koishi did not know what to do as the goopy food dripped down to her beautiful, new hanfu and the guests snickered. Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt her face grow intensely hot.

"What is going on here?" a voice commanded and Koishi looked to see it was Huang; his face now stern and serious.

Immediately, Gang and the maid stopped laughing, the guests went back to conversing, and the musicians went back to playing soft symphonies.

"You're very clumsy, Zhen." Huang scolded the beautiful Chinese maid.

She quickly bowed to the master and said, "I'm very sorry, sir."

When the maid, Zhen, came back up from her bow, a huge satisfied smile was on her lips and Koishi knew she was not at all sorry, nor was her mess an accident.

"I'm sorry about her," Huang apologized. "She even ruined your hanfu! I deeply apologize and I will find a way to replace it."

Koishi flicked some of the food off of her hanfu, but she knew it was not going to ever be clean and pretty again.

"Its fine, sir." She replied to the host.

"Oh, come now, my dear." Huang insisted. "Shall I replace it now so you can enjoy the rest of the evening here?"

"No, I insist its fine." She looked around and noticed her companion was missing. "Where is En—Hu?"

The host smiled pleasantly and answered, "He's caught up at the moment."

She did not like this, not one bit, or the way Huang stared at her as if she were a priceless Japanese doll and he had to have her.

Her heart pounded with nervousness and Koishi looked around quickly and saw Enishi was nowhere to be seen.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O (What happened previously…)

"Let us also enjoy the evening, Hu." Huang said and Enishi followed him.

The duo left the ballroom and went to the right, down a hallway and to a room. Huang set up the room for men who enjoyed a little gamble; it was a poker room.

Just as Enishi had a poker room in his mansion, for it is a very popular gambling game, Huang also enjoyed the game and had one set up in his place as well. Three very bulky Chinese men followed the duo into the room; Huang's bodyguards, as if he even needed them, for he was a skilled warrior himself.

Enishi seated himself across the poker table from Huang. The Chinese man was very tactical in his game; even cruel. They, obviously, had no friendship between one another and one could not trust the other, and vice versa.

"So, what's the point of this meeting, Hu?" Huang asked pleasantly, even though he knew what it was about.

"You know why," Enishi replied, not bothering to be pleasant to a man who was putting up a front. "I want a partnership in the weapons trade."

"Oh, Hu," Huang said with a pleasant smile. "The power and authority you did have, you gave to Woo Heishin. We do not crawl our way to the top just to give all away. Who's to say, if we grant you partnership, you won't give it all away again? Of course, I have to have Ju-Long's permission…"

Enishi chuckled and replied, "Woo Heishin is currently serving a forty year sentence in Japan. What he had is now gone. I'm the only one that can give you direct trade with Japan."

"And what influence do you have on the eastern island?"

"I have Yamataro on my puppet strings."

Huang's pleasant face melted away to utter seriousness. He straightened up in his seat, less relaxed than he was a second ago. Now he knew Yukishiro Enishi meant serious business.

"Yamataro, hm?" Huang said. "So, you have the key to my deals in Japan. For someone who was about to give away everything he worked for, you sure are determined to get it all back."

Enishi did not reply. He had his own reasons for spending the pass seventeen years crawling his way back up the Chinese mafia ladder. He was so focused on his Jinchuu that he never thought about all he would lose.

"Alright," Huang started. "You have Yamataro on your side, and I have your partnership. I will allow you partnership, without Ju-Long's permission, if you give me something."

"I already have Yamataro." Enishi replied raising an eyebrow. "What else do you want?"

Huang's lips pulled back into a wide smile and he did not bother to cover his teeth. He straightened his changshan, crossed his legs, and folded his fingers together neatly in his lap.

"That young girl." Huang answered. "Give her up to me and I'll grant you partnership."

Enishi's expression did not change, even when he reminded, "You already have a wife, and you have a Mediator, Bao."

The white-haired man knew what a woman Mediator was; a high classed whore, shared with the three bosses of the Shanghai mafia. They already had one woman, and now the Chinese bastard wanted to add another one to the "collection."

"I have them, yes," the Chinese man agreed and then continued. "I just want a girl as beautiful as her…what was her name again?"

"Koishi." Enishi answered. "And I'll seriously consider it."

"No, Hu," Huang confronted. "I need an answer right now."

"As I already said; I'll seriously consider it."

"What a shame." Huang said. "That's the same as a 'no' to me."

"Why do you want her anyway?" Enishi asked with disinterest. "She puts up a good, well trained front, but behind the scenes, she's just plain annoying."

"She sounds feisty." Huang noted, his interest now peaked. "She must be quite a wildcat in bed."

"She's quite submissive, actually." Enishi lied; Koishi was feisty, but he did not know if she was in bed. He never tasted her. "Her annoyingness comes from her constant talking. You won't be able to concentrate."

Huang chuckled darkly before countering, "Just like you made my former young wife talk?"

"Is this what this is about?" Enishi asked, amused. "Because I laid with your wife and she enjoyed it?"

"No, it's not like that at all." Huang disagreed with a dark laugh. "I just can't stand allowing a beautiful young woman waste her life with the likes of you."

"My answer is," Enishi said with a very cold glare. "You can have her when you pry her out of the arms of my cold, dead carcass. Then, and only then, will I allow you to have her."

"Your dead carcass, hm?" Huang repeated before he stood up and Enishi stood as well. "That will be arranged. It was good knowing you, Hu."

Just as Huang was leaving, there was a loud clatter in the ballroom, and the host said, "What're they up to now?"

He left, and the three bulky Chinese men in the room with Enishi started to crack their knuckles. The white haired man brought two fingers up to his dark lensed spectacles and pushed them back up the bridge of his nose.

"So," he said with a dark chuckle. "That's how he's going to be."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The party continued, and everyone ignored the messy girl in the back of the ballroom. Koishi noted she should have stayed closer to the front door so she could have made a quick get-away in case anything diverted from Enishi's plans; such as right now.

Her eyes widened as Huang studied her face and she began to feel uneasy. She tried to calm down, but his aura was something terrible.

"M-May I clean myself up, sir?" Koishi asked in a small, shaky voice.

"You're beautiful, Koishi." Huang complemented in Japanese.

"Thank you, sir." Koishi replied in Mandarin.

"You don't have to speak Chinese, my dear." Huang said in Japanese. "You're eyes; so beautiful. It's like your eyes can't decide what color they want to be. It's a superstition, but here, in China, we believe that a person with two eye colors in their irises will always be indecisive through life."

"That makes perfect sense." Koishi agreed, although still on edge.

Huang gently grabbed her by her upper arms, leaned his face down closer to Koishi's face, and she realized what he was going to do. Yet, both man and woman did not notice that the entire ballroom had become hushed.

"Please don't, sir." Koishi begged, her eyes still wide and food still dripping down from her head.

"As I said before, Huang," a deep, cold voice stated from a few feet away from them. "You can have her when you pry her out of the arms of my cold, dead carcass."

The duo at the back of the ballroom looked beside them and saw Enishi. His dark lensed spectacles were still on his face, even with a few developing bruises appearing on his cheek and a small trickle of blood ran down the corner of his lips. The high collar to his changshan was ripped open, torn down his left shoulder. His knuckles were ripped open and bleeding; there was a terrible look of death desiring on his face.

"I'm disappointed in you, Huang." Enishi stated. "Those three men were your best? I know I'm not as young as I used to be, but I'm still insulted that you had those morons try to take me out."

Huang sighed in resignation and released Koishi's arms. She immediately half ran over to her owner. He instantly wrapped a secured arm around his property, despite the mess she had on her.

"Koishi," Enishi said, and she looked up at him, but his cold stare was still fixed on the host. "Thank Huang for a lovely evening for us."

"Thank you for a lovely evening, sir." Koishi obeyed with a quick, polite bow.

"You're very welcome, my dear." Huang said with all pleasantness. "We should get together again sometime; just the two of us."

Before Koishi could respond, Enishi led them both away and out the front doors, his arm still secured around her. The other guests stared at them as the exited, and her self-conscious rose. He paid them no mind, even as they retrieved a carriage to ride.

Enishi held out his hand once again for Koishi, and she accepted and entered the carriage; he got in right after her.

She was completely silent during the ride back to her owner's place. It would not be wise on her part to endlessly converse, for she knew just by reading his face that he was in a foul mood.

"You're unusually quiet." Enishi noted after moments of silence.

"I thought you would've enjoyed the silence since you're quite…upset."

"I've dealt with harder disappointments and situations in my life." Enishi responded ruefully.

Koishi fell silent again. She tried her best not to stare, but the changshan that was ripped away to expose a portion of his upper chest revealed just how chiseled his body was. She inwardly shook her head at herself; she should not have such inappropriate thoughts!

What she was informed about the Enishi she did not know, if she even knew him at all, played back in her mind. He killed an entire family, even the infant girl. Her heart bled with fear of the anonymous master in her life, but she could not bring herself to ask him about it.

It was none of her business.

"What're you thinking about?" Enishi asked after he watched a various display of emotions play on her face; shock, immense sadness, and finally, fear.

"Hu," Koishi said after a brief moment. "What does 'Hu' mean?"

"Tiger."

"Is that what your name in Chinese means?"

"No," Enishi replied. "It's the name those members of various organizations have given me. They don't know my legal birth name."

"Organizations?" Koishi inquired.

"All those men you saw," Enishi answered calmly. "Some are politicians in the Chinese government, but they're all criminals one way or another."

"A-Are you…?" Koishi began, but then changed her mind and went to a different subject. "I'm sorry about your changshan."

"I'm sorry about your hanfu." Enishi replied, a bit unnerved that he had to press her to know what she was thinking. It was so easy to read her before. "Did you enjoy your brief conversation with Gang?"

"…No." Koishi answered as she looked at the drawn curtains and wished she had something to look at as a distraction from the looming subject.

"What was unpleasant about it?"

"Gang…" Koishi tried to answer as she looked at the floor of the carriage. "He told me a little bit about you…"

"…..Such as?"

Koishi could not look at him and she cursed herself for being such a coward. She kneaded her fingers in her hanfu as her heart pounded. Why was she so afraid of the truth?

"He… He told me that…you bedded down Huang's wife and she committed suicide because of her shame."

Finally, Koishi looked at Enishi but it was only in surprise because he was laughing; a dark, unamused laugh.

"Lying bastard." Enishi murmured.

"So…you didn't—"

"No, we did." Enishi answered. "I was young, and I had a few women; but nothing serious, and I definitely wasn't a man-whore. A user, yes, but not a player. At the time, I had other things to think about that were more important to me."

Koishi was silent so Enishi continued, "She didn't commit suicide. Huang ordered her to be killed, but made it look like a suicide."

"You didn't rise to her defense?" Koishi asked.

"No."

"Doushite?" (Why; questioning actions)

"I was a completely different person back then, and my rationality was that it was her problem."

"You…" Koishi stopped to gather her courage to ask the next question. "Is it true that you…caused her to—to cry out in pleasure?"

"Yes." Enishi answered finding her question a bit amusing.

"Shameful." Was all Koishi could say.

"Naze?" Enishi asked. "I always satisfy the women I've bedded down. Is it so wrong to please a woman?"

He smirked when he saw her face grow bright red; even in the dim lights of the carriage, he could see it.

"This conversation is shameful." Koishi scolded, but with a whisper.

"You listen to this new Westernized society too much; either that or you have super conservative parents."

"My mother told me all that I needed to know." Koishi defended with a slight pout on her face.

They stared at each other for a long moment, and finally, Enishi continued the conversation.

"What else did Gang say about me?"

It was the subject Koishi had been dreading to bring up. She opened and closed her mouth several times, and Enishi never pressed her to say it.

"D….D-did you…Is it true that you killed a Japanese family?"

Enishi's eye closed and he turned his head. When he opened his eyes to stare at nothing, Koishi saw a brief moment of vulnerability; a deep look of unfathomable torments and regret.

"I'm sorry." Koishi said. "Forget I asked."

"Yes," Enishi replied, his entire face unemotional. "I did."

He did not offer up any further information, and she never asked. Even when the silence between them was almost unbearable, she never asked the details.

They finally arrived back at the mansion, and Koishi was very surprised to see Enishi get out first, turn around, and hold his hand out for her. She accepted with a tiny smile on her lips, but as soon as she was on her feet, he handed her the coins for the carriage driver, turned and quickly walked into his place of residence.

Koishi gave the coins to the carriage driver, bowed, and went inside. Enishi all but disappeared, so she went to the Japanese style bathhouse to bathe.

After she dried herself and got dressed, she went up to Enishi's study room, or the library. She carefully opened the door and peered inside.

There, still dressed in his torn changshan, Enishi sat in his chair beside his desk. His head was supported by his hand, in such a way that it looked like his finger and thumb were covering his eyes, and his arm was supported by the desk. It was a position Koishi saw when people were under a strenuous amount of stress.

Not wanting to bother him further, Koishi silently closed the door and head off to her room to sleep for the rest of the late night.

_To Be Continued… _

AN: This is the chapter which brings in the plot. The new character introduced, Huang, and a few other characters mentioned will be important a bit later in the story.

Just for fun:

Huang = emperor; rich

Hu = tiger

Ju-Long = powerful, gigantic dragon

Feng = phoenix

Gang = hard; unyielding

Zeng = kind; merciful (although she's just the opposite)

Bao = beautiful


	8. Chapter 8

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 8_

The following week, a visitor came to Enishi's mansion. It was Koishi who answered the door since there were no hired hands available that day, and the hermit was locked in his study, as usual.

At the front doors, Koishi saw it was Enishi's business partner, Feng. She never thought of him as Chinese, for he looked more Japanese. He was average in height and build. She bowed as she opened the door wider to welcome him inside.

"Where is the master?" Feng asked her, even though he already knew where he was.

"Hu-sama is up in his study." Koishi answered. "Maybe you can coax him out."

Feng chuckled lightly as he made his way up one of the staircases to Enishi's library. He knocked on the door twice, did not bother to wait for a reply, and walked right inside, shutting the door behind him.

"I heard what happened at Huang's ball." Feng said, not bothering to ask Enishi how he was.

Enishi was sitting in his chair with a book opened. It was the same book he got almost physically violent towards Koishi over. He quickly closed it and placed it on his lap, away from view.

"Which parts did you hear about?" Enishi asked in a business-like manner.

"For one, I heard that Huang was quite taken by that girl." Feng chuckled. "He's still gushing about her to his colleagues."

Enishi rolled his eyes before he replied, "That idiot doesn't know how she is behind closed doors."

"True," Feng agreed with amusement. "Then I also heard a rumor that you refused to give her over to him in exchange for partnership."

"I have Yamataro." Enishi explained despite his business partner's skeptical look. "I shouldn't have to exchange the girl for his acceptance. Huang was just getting greedy."

"So, the rumor that you're attached to the girl is false?"

Enishi glared at Feng and the Chinese man put his hands up in defense.

"I do not have an attachment to her." Enishi countered, emphasizing every word.

"Then why didn't you accept Huang's offer?"

"You know how that bastard is." Enishi answered. "Even without an attachment, I couldn't give her away based strictly on good conscience."

"Good conscience?" Feng repeated, amused. "It's never bothered you before."

"Besides a good conscience," Enishi countered irritably. "Did you not understand what I was saying? Why should I exchange more for my leverage?"

"No, Hu, I understand what you're saying. I just wanted to be sure that you're not getting attached to that girl."

"I've never attached myself to anyone."

Of course, Enishi knew that was a lie as soon as he said it, but he was not going to share his dramatic life story about his sister's death and his ten year path of insanity.

"I was just reassuring myself." Feng said. "So what're you going to do now?"

"I will deal with this on my own terms." Enishi stated and asked, "When are the government agents coming?"

"About five months' time."

"That'll be enough to prepare. I have to gain their approval before Huang and Ju-Long have time to snatch that away, too."

"I hate this weak government." Feng muttered to himself.

"I know," Enishi said with great calm. "We just need them to survive in this changing world." Feng did not comment, so Enishi continued, "I'll start making preparations to receive favor from those in high government power."

"You could just go the easy route and give the girl to him."

Enishi feigned disinterest, even when he answered, "We're done with this conversation."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"The first thing you have to understand about the people in government," the teacher said in Mandarin. "Is they're very picky; even too critical."

Koishi nodded once to her teacher, whom she thought she would never see again after her Mandarin lessons. It turned out, Enishi hired him once again for more etiquette lessons.

How much did the old tutor know?!

"If you say one word with too much of an accent," the teacher continued. "Or say it grammatically wrong, they will tear you apart like a tiger taking down a wounded deer."

"I understand." Koishi replied.

"Now, you still remember the basics of conversing in Mandarin, correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Now we will work on more depth of the language. You will have to work harder now. As I said, the people in power are very critical if you don't know their language thoroughly."

"Yes sir."

"Then let's begin…"

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

It was late afternoon, practically evening, when there was a knock on his door. Enishi sighed with a roll of his eyes; he knew who it was and he just wanted to be left alone.

"Enter." He still answered.

Sure enough, the girl came into the room and she closed the door behind her despite them being the only ones in the entire mansion.

"Enishi-sama." She greeted with a polite bow.

"Drop the 'sama.'" Enishi commanded irritably.

"Enishi," Koishi greeted again. "I'm sorry to bother you, but my sensei told me to ask you for books written in Mandarin."

"Why is that?" Enishi asked, uninterested, from his desk.

"Sensei said to keep reading Mandarin, even if it is only the few calligraphy I know."

"That makes sense." Enishi said. "The books are over there."

Koshi looked at the huge library wall and then back to her master. He cocked his eyebrow up and drummed his fingers on his desk.

"Do you know how to read Mandarin?" Enishi asked.

"Ano…" Koishi replied nervously as she swirled her fingers. "It's been difficult for me. Um, can… can you please help me with that?"

"That's what I hired the teacher for."

"He said… I need all the help I can receive."

Enishi sighed in defeat, got up, and walked over to his library. He looked over some books before taking out a few at a time. He walked over to the small table in the room and set the books down on it. Koishi sat in one of the seats, and Enishi sat in a seat across from her. He looked over two books and handed them over to her.

"How did you acquire all these books?" The young woman asked in amazement.

"I knew someone who was a rare book collector and dealer."

"Oh."

"This is the most popular work of Chinese poetry and the other book is the translation." He stated.

Koishi opened to the first page and started quietly reading for a few seconds before she asked Enishi, "Where is Hong Kong?"

"South of Shanghai."

Koishi said a quiet, "Oh." And went back to her reading. After a few minutes more, she looked up and said, "This is rather confusing."

"You're new at the language; that's why." Enishi said, his head back, supported by the backrest of the chair and his eyes closed.

"No, it's not that. I can understand it okay, but I just don't understand why their monologue is so long just to make a short point."

"Some people talk too much." He stated as if trying to make a hint towards her.

"Oh," Koishi stated. "I never met a government official."

"You will."

Koishi continued to slowly read more, line by line, as she looked over at the Japanese translation. Everything was quiet, save for the grandfather clock ticking off in the corner of the room. Enishi still slouched in the chair across from her, his head supported by the backrest, and his eyes closed.

"Quite a bit violent." Koishi commented.

"What is?"

"This story." She replied. "The two families that hate each other so much, that even their servants fight."

"That's the point Chinese were trying to make; to help the audience see just how violent the two families' feuds have become."

"What was the cause of the feud?"

"It was never stated; just that it was an ancient feud."

"I still can't help but wonder what started the feud."

"That wasn't the point of the story. Maybe it was over a wrong doing, a sin…the death of a loved one caused by the other family."

"And they can't forgive and forget?"

Enishi opened his eyes, sat up, and stared straight at Koishi.

"If someone killed your loved one, could you forgive and forget?"

Koishi frowned in deep thought for a moment before she answered, "I would have to. If I sought revenge, then other innocent family members would be hurt. Then they would seek revenge; it would be a never ending cycle, just like these two families in this story. Killing, killing, and more killing."

"That's not forgiving; that's being passive. Give a straight answer. Can you forgive the person who killed your loved one?"

Koishi opened and closed her mouth several times before she could finally answer straight.

"….I don't know."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The days passed, which quickly turned into a month. Koishi counted two and a half months since she had been kidnapped and sold. Two and a half months of living with Enishi, whom she nicknamed, "The Hermit."

She observed that he was a very quiet man, usually calm, but there were also other times he would be absolutely irritated. That, she also observed, was when he was under generous amounts of stress.

Most of the time, Koishi would remain in his presence in the library. She tried to convince herself that she was only interested in the books, but she eventually admitted it was because she wanted to observe Enishi more.

He intrigued her for reasons unknown even to her, and she could not help but study him. Enishi seemed to be a collected man on the surface, but she could tell there was more to him than what he had materially.

There were those few times Koishi saw the man he used to be when he was younger. The time she touched the worn, handwritten book; the look in his topaz-blue eyes revealed the murderer buried deep within himself, although she did not know it at the time. Her question was answered at Huang's ball through Gang.

The memory of Huang's ball came to Koishi's mind as she blankly stared at her opened book, not seeing the words printed on the pages.

Enishi was a very different man at the ball; that terrible, Cheshire cat smile, those cold topaz-blue eyes. It seemed every time he put those dark lensed spectacles on with the earring in his left lobe, he turned into that different man.

There were similarities between The Hermit, and the terrible man; they both had a barrier around them that prevented anyone from getting close to them.

What was the story of Enishi?

Koishi closed the book she had opened. She was not getting any reading done today with her mind wandering. She just wanted to get her mind off the fact that she was all alone in the huge mansion.

She had awakened; her usual early time got dressed and went down to the kitchen for breakfast. She saw the food laid out on the table, but no master.

Koishi just assumed he was up in the library, as usual, so she sat and ate her breakfast in peace. After she was finished, she cleaned up and walked upstairs to the library. Upon entering the grand room, and saw the white-haired hermit was nowhere in the room, she quickly looked everywhere in the mansion.

After searching every room, she realized she was the only one in the place. Soon, fear of being alone in the mansion, in a country foreign to her, took over her, and she practically locked herself in the library. Koishi jumped when she heard the front door slam, practically breaking the hinges off, and she opened the library doors, and went to the balcony.

She saw the white-haired man walk, in a very fast pace, straight, and disappeared under the balcony. She heard more doors slamming; only it sounded like the strong wood hit walls. That meant he was in the ballroom.

How unusual for Enishi to go straight to the ballroom.

Curious, Koishi calmly walked down one of the grand staircases, and peeked inside the ballroom. There, the usually calm Enishi had some kind of weights on his wrists, he had an unusual sword in his hands, and he swung it to and fro, moving majestically…like a tiger. He also wore a beautiful, white kung fu style suit.

She focused on his weapon of choice. It was a sword, not at all like a katana of Japan. Well, the blade itself was similar, only it was quite a few inches longer than the katana. The hilt was nothing like the round metal of the katana; it was splayed in pairs, curving down towards the blade. The handle was long, too, and two red cords came from the tip of the handle; something katana users prefer to avoid.

Koishi noticed the sword's saya, or sheathe, was very long like the blade of its mate, discarded on the floor, along with his cloak he wore a few times. She frowned at that and looked back, curiously, at Enishi, only to see he had ceased his workout and was glaring at her, his body already perspiring.

"What kind of sword is that?" was all Koishi could bring herself to ask.

Enishi's cold topaz-blue eyes looked away from the girl and he straightened himself up and used the back of his hand to wipe the perspiration from his forehead.

While he was silent, Koishi walked over to the discarded sheathe and picked it up. Inspecting it, she noted it was made from very fine wood, and it was rather heavy. Only a very strong person would be able to handle a weapon of that magnitude.

"Why throw down the sheathe?" Koishi asked when she walked over and stood in front of her owner.

"What does the sheathe matter?" Enishi answered with a question. "It's just extra weight, preventing easy movement."

"A sheathe had, at times, been known to save a swordsman's life."

"You can't fight with a sheath." Enishi countered.

"Of course not," Koishi agreed. "But, the sheath was sometimes sacrificed in battle to block a killing blow. That's why they're made of the strongest, finest wood available. A sheathe could save the swordsman's life."

"Sacrifice the sheathe, hm?" Enishi said, more to himself.

"What kind of sword is that?" Koishi repeated her previous question, even though she remembered asking him on the ship during their first trip to China together; but it was in its rucksack and she never saw the sword until now.

"Watou."

"What's 'watou'?"

"A Chinese-made Japanese tachi."

"So, it's like a cross between a katana, and a Chinese sword?"

Enishi gave a single nod. Koishi inspected the watou and saw the blade was still finely sharp and shiny. The woven cloth over the handle was still intact.

"It's never been used." Koishi noted.

"I've never used this particular watou. I had this watou made years ago. The watou I fought with is lying, discarded, on the beach of a lone island."

Koishi blinked at that, but did not question him further. Instead, she gazed thoughtfully at the sheathe in her hands; her mind once again wandering.

"What?" Enishi asked, snapping her out of her revere.

She remained thoughtful for a moment before she answered, "Both my parents love kenjitsu; both are masters of a kenjitsu style. Even my brother loves it." She gave a short laugh before she continued, "My brother convinced me, for the longest time, that I was adopted; that I was a baby in a basket, and my real parents left me at the dojo gate.

"I believed him because I am nothing like the rest of my family. I have immense respect for all kenjitsu styles, and I was interested in practicing them. I practiced for a while, but I…lost interest, and I started seeking other forms of recreation. I do believe, though, that I probably would never have been kidnapped if I had continued practicing kenjitsu."

Enishi was silent for a moment before he asked, "What happened, when you were kidnapped?"

Koishi looked up at her owner with wide eyes, briefly, before answering, "They placed us in shipping crates like unimportant cargo and placed us on a ship to Yokohama. After that, we were given an exam by some old woman, and then we were locked in a room. Hours after that, they came and got us, individually, one by one. We were being auctioned off. Maybe that's why I got sick when we traveled here to China. Maybe I wasn't sea sick, so much as a new found phobia of ships."

Koishi remained silent after her story and Enishi sheathed his watou, got the weights off his wrists.

"Enishi," she began in a small voice. "Why did you buy me?" When he just stared, she continued, "You never…done anything with me, except buy me two fitted outfits, had a personal tutor teach me Mandarin, and brought me to a grand ball…that didn't end on a high note, but still…"

It was not any of her business why he bought her, or what he did with her.

"I am….concerned," Koishi continued again when he said nothing. "That soon, you'll tire of me and you'll sell me into prostitution, like so many other men do after they deflower a virgin, and had a taste of her a few times after that. I know that much about this world."

"I bought you because you looked familiar and I thought I knew you." Enishi answered before he had time to stop himself. "I was invited to the personal auction by Yamataro, while I was in Japan. I couldn't see you to be sure, so I bought you."

"Yamataro…!" Koishi whispered. "He's a highly respected government official in Japan! Why are you associated with him?!"

"What do you think my profession is?" Enishi asked, icily.

"And everyone else?" Koishi asked with wide, fearful eyes. "Feng, Gang, and Huang?"

Enishi arched an eyebrow and Koishi drew in a sharp breath, her question already answered. They were all crime bosses, and she knew their names; knew their faces. They had money, power, connections; he could do what he pleased to her, and no one would be able to touch him!

Koishi's head snapped up when she noticed a growing red mark on his beautiful white Chinese shirt. It was on his left side, growing, and moving down his left pants leg. It took her just a moment before she realized what it was.

"You're bleeding!" she cried aloud.

Enishi calmly glanced down to his right side, as if he knew where to look.

"It's fine." He said with a shrug.

Without permission, Koishi quickly reached over and lifted up Enishi's white kung ku jacket. She inspected it for a second. It was a ghastly cut, more than likely made by a sword, or a bladed weapon. Her eyes widened as she realized she could see deep into the muscles. The wound went from his lower ribs and elongated down, possibly all the way down to his thigh.

"It is not fine!" Koishi said after she saw the wound. "A doctor needs to look at it!"

"No," Enishi commanded. "No doctor will look at it."

"Well you just can't leave it like that!" she argued. "It needs stitches!"

"I will not have any doctor look at it."

"Will you at least allow me to treat it?"

Enishi shrugged. "Whatever."

"Then follow me." Koishi now commanded, and he followed her to one of the guest rooms on the first floor, nearest to the kitchen.

"I'll get some treating items," she said. "And you get undressed."

After Koishi left, Enishi undressed out of his white kung fu style suit and, thoroughly nude, looked at the wound in the room's full length mirror. It was a horrible wound; more horrible than he realized. Now that the adrenaline was ebbing away from his body, he started to feel woozy.

_Kuso! This is not good!_

He quickly lay down on the bed, flat on his back. Koishi came in the room moments later with clean towels, left, and came back again with more supplies; two washing bowls, both filled with steaming water, several bottles of Chinese medicine, medical wraps, and a bowl to crush medicine.

_How the hell did she know about treating wounds?!_

"I need you to lie on your side, please." She requested, her gaze on the wall behind the bed.

Enishi stiffly rolled over to his left side, and he instantly felt thick, warm liquid roll down his back from his wound. He kept his head turned, however, so he could watch the girl treat his wound.

Koishi washed her hands three times in the first bowl of hot water. After that, she took a clean towel, dipped it in the second bowl of hot water, and started to wash Enishi's wound as gently as possible. He frowned ever so slightly, but never showed further pain or discomfort.

The ghastly wound went from his side, vertically, all the way to the upper part of his thigh. She noticed that the wound was deeper in his side, closer to his ribs.

"You really need stitches, Enishi." Koishi said with great dismay. "A doctor should really be doing this. I'm not confident enough to give you stitches."

"Do what you think is right," Enishi answered. "But I will not have a doctor here."

"You're so stubborn!" she countered with greater dismay as she continued to carefully wash the wound.

Enishi said nothing further, but he watched Koishi clean the wound in his side. He was tense as every muscle in his body ached, and what blood he did not lose went up to his cheeks. Even though he had always been comfortable with his body, and he had no problem being nude in front of the few women he had been with, for unknown reasons, he could not be comfortable, nude, before the young woman.

Although Koishi's eyes never strayed from his wound, Enishi did not want her to feel uncomfortable during his treatment. It was so unusual for him to become modest. The only hint that gave her away was the small blush on her cheeks, but she kept her eyes trained on her work.

After cleaning the wound, she put various Chinese medicines into the crushing bowl and used the crusher to grind them together into a paste. She mumbled about stitches would be better, but she put the medicinal paste into his wound, layer by layer, and bandaged it up.

"Now drink this." Koishi commanded Enishi as she handed him a clay cup with a warm liquid in it.

"When did you become so knowledgeable with Chinese medicine?" he asked after he sat up.

"Your books are more than just for display." Koishi answered, her eyes averted as her nude master downed the liquid in seconds. "Now lay back down."

"I'm not lying in bed all day."

"Just rest for a few minutes, please." Koishi requested with an aspirated sigh. "And don't lay on your right side, or you might reopen your wound."

Enishi sighed while shaking his head, but he lay down and Koishi covered him up with a thin, silk sheet. He watched her clean up the supplies off the table beside the bed.

"Arigatou." He mumbled.

Koishi looked at him, and knew it took a lot out of him to give his thanks. She bowed with a "You're welcome." and exited the room.

Enishi sighed and relaxed into the bed, waiting just a few minutes before he could get up and work on his personal vendetta.

_To Be Continued…_

AN: I know, Enishi coming back, wounded, seemed to come from nowhere, but please trust me when I say it will be explained later. And also, there will be a bit more action sequence in the next chapter; yay!


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: **Due to the encouragement and enthusiasm of you awesome people (thank you, kaoruca), I decided to post this little gem a bit early. BTW, I will still post another chapter during my regular weekly schedule.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 9_

Enishi groaned in his throat as he slowly opened his eyes and blinked several times. The room had become darker, and the sun was casting orange hues. He tried to sit up, but the pain in his side and sudden weakness kept him pinned.

His eyes ached and burned, and with it, he felt very cold, despite the warm weather. He frowned slightly at his less than perfect state of being. The last time he felt this sick was when he was a boy, fighting to survive on the streets of Shanghai.

"You're finally awake." He heard, and he turned his head slowly towards Koishi.

She had been sitting in the chair across the room, a few books on the table beside her, and she placed her wrist on his forehead. She gave a low hiss of disapproval when she felt his temperature.

"I told you I'm not qualified to treat like a doctor." She murmured in dismay. "I'll see what I can do."

She left the room, and a weak Enishi drifted in and out of sleep for a few minutes until she came back with another clay bowl of hot water and medical herbs.

She cleared her throat before explaining, "This will help you sweat out the fever, but for it to work, I have to give you a bed bath. Is alright with you?"

Had Enishi been in a more healthy state, he would have laughed at her modesty. Instead, he merely nodded weakly. Koishi put the herbs into the clay bowl of hot water, took the clean towel, and stirred it around for a bit. She pulled the thin sheet off of him, made sure she kept her eyes away from certain areas, and proceeded to bathe him.

She got to his wound, changed the bandage, and proceeded. She blushed deeply when she got to a certain area of him, for which she wrapped the towel around her hand, and kept her eyes straight while she bathed that particular area.

Enishi would have laughed had he felt like his usual self.

"It's not going to bite you." he stated in a raspy voice.

Koishi glared daggers at him, and said, "I'm so sorry for being modest, _sir._"

"Modest?" Enishi asked with piqué. "Is that what they call it? It's just a member of the human body, like a finger, or a hand. What is so 'modest' about it?"

"Both man and woman are not supposed to be looking or touching each other until they're married."

"Uh-huh," Enishi agreed. "But it's natural, the way nature is; nothing to be ashamed of, or 'modest' about. Even the animals do it; some even lick each other's organs."

Koishi's eyes widened and her blush grew deeper.

"Let me guess," Enishi teased. "You've never seen one."

"Of course I have!" Koishi stated indigently. "My brother and I used to bathe together when we were little!"

Just to chuckle made Enishi ache, but he could not help it. She was too funny; too pure. He slowly shook his head as she continued his bath down to his lower legs. He could already feel the herbal medicine draw out the fever and he started to perspire.

"You must be feeling better," Koishi stated. "If you're in the mood to poke fun at me."

He fired at her, "No, I'm feeling awful. I just can't help it; you're such a goody two-shoes."

"I am not!"

"Whatever you say."

Koishi stared at him for moments before she quickly glanced at Enishi's manhood. She grabbed the thin, silk sheet and placed it over him.

"It's very impressive." She stated with a glaring sneer, although her face took on a sunburnt shade.

Even though he could hear the obvious sarcasm, Enishi could not help but smirk.

"Do you want to see mine now?" she sneered.

"Another time." Enishi answered with an uninterested shrug.

"Baka!"

"You know it." He fired back. Enishi sighed softly, when a question suddenly came into his mind, "Did you have any suitors back home?"

Koishi allowed herself a small chuckle.

"A boy, only a few months younger than me, expressed interest. Our parents approved since we grew up together, and our parents knew each other before we were born."

"…Do you have interest in him?"

Koishi shrugged and stated, "I tried to like him, tried to build a romantic love for him, but I just can't see him as anything more than a brother."

"Is he a strong boy?"

"Yes; the boys in school keep their distance."

"Ah," Enishi chuckled. "That's how it is."

"Nani?" (What?)

"There are probably other boys interested in you, but the one boy is probably scaring those other boys away from you."

Koishi was silent, before she changed the subject.

"Who was your first kiss?"

Enishi raised an eyebrow.

"Why are kisses so sentimental to women?" he asked.

"It's a supposed to be a special moment."

"Who was your first kiss, then?"

"You."

Enishi frowned at that. When had he ever kissed her? A sudden memory came into his mind; on the ship from Yokohama, to keep Koishi quiet, he grabbed her and kissed her.

"I feel like I've been robbed." Koishi informed. "So, I have a simple request. After you're better, and on your feet, I request that you kiss me again; only make it feel special. Please."

Enishi had no idea how to make a kiss special. He never thought of kisses with any value. During the days of his horny youth, his kisses were hard and fierce on a woman as he thrust himself inside her with hard, sharp thrusts.

Kisses, and sex, never meant anything to him, save for stroking his ego while satisfying a woman. His reputation for always satisfying women was pronounced throughout Shanghai, so women, even married ones, flocked to him for a moment of enjoyment; but he only bedded a few.

His Jinchuu was first priority.

So how did he make a kiss, with a virgin, special? What a messed up situation he found himself in!

OOOOOOO

"_Please don't kill my children!" she desperately begged as the baby, and boy, wailed on the floor behind her. "Do what you want to me, but please don't kill my children!"_

_He smiled his Cheshire cat smile, his topaz-blue eyes wide and crazed. On the floor behind him was a blood bath where he had gutted the Japanese man behind him. He raised the antique katana in his hand, and the woman placed herself between her children and the murderous boy._

_A memory nagged in his mind, threatening to come to surface, of a woman in a white kimono who placed herself between a Shogunate employee and a red-haired assassin._

"_Please leave us alone!"_

_They were fearful of him. Happy, smiling faces now turned completely around to wide, tearful eyes, begging for their lives. They had been happy. The murdering boy was not happy; the family had no idea they were bringing the health back to a rabid dog._

_They were happy, and he could not stand it…_

OOOOOOOOO

Enishi gasped as his conscious pulled him out of his nightmare. He tried to sit up, but the pain in his side was too great and he collapsed back down on the bed. He lay, gasping, perspiring, and a wetness rolled down from the corners of his eyes. He opened his eyes again, and saw his sister by his left side, a very worried look on her face.

"Nee-san," Enishi whispered in a raspy voice. "Please let me die, Nee-san."

Tomoe's eyes grew with confusion and horror.

"This is too hard, Nee-san." He whispered again. "Let me die."

"Well, I'm sorry, Enishi, but I just won't let that happen."

Enishi blinked at the voice that came out of his sister's mouth. The image of his sister faded away in his mind's eye, and a different person stood in her place; a young woman with black hair, slightly cat-like shaped eyes, sapphire-blue colored irises that became a different color towards the pupils. The young woman placed a cool cloth on his forehead and she gently wiped away the perspiration from his face.

A name came to his mind, and he gradually regained his bearings; Koishi.

"You're fever finally broke." Koishi noted in a soft voice. "That's good."

Enishi did not say anything. Instead, he turned his head away from the young woman. She finished wiping up his perspiration, and she checked on his wound, kept the silk sheet over important areas, and changed the bandages.

"Would you like something to eat?" she asked after she was done.

"Not hungry."

"Understood; it's very late anyway."

Enishi closed his eyes, but he felt small fingers trace a diagonal length across his chest. He looked at the girl, her face a small frown as she stared at his chest.

"Where did you get this scar?" she asked.

"A souvenir from a sword fight."

"How did you survive?"

"It wasn't deep and my opponent wasn't aiming to kill me."

Enishi looked at Koishi and noted how worn she looked. Did she spend all night caring for him? She moved around again, this time pouring a cup of room-temperature water, held is head up with her arm and helped him drink.

He heavily gulped a few times before he refused any more. She carefully placed his head back down, and placed the cup down. Heaviness lingered in the air, and he knew she was filled with questions.

He did not owe her any explanation.

"I was just having a bad dream." Enishi explained. "About…the past."

Koishi nodded once in understanding.

"I've had those a few times." She said.

"Mine…are different." He continued. "The book you were about to read, the hand-written one always on my desk; it belonged to my older sister. I never had a mother, rarely knew my father growing up; nee-san was all I had. She had a fiancée who wanted to be worthy in her eyes, so he went to Kyoto during the chaotic time of the Bakumatsu. He was killed by an assassin, Hitokiri Battousai."

Koishi's eyes widened and she said, "I've learned about him in school. Some say he's just a legend."

"He's no legend; he's very real. My sister was employed by the Shogunate to get close to Battousai, to see what his weaknesses were so they could destroy him, and nee-san could have her revenge. They spent, I think, half a year together. She kept a diary the whole time. I was a boy in Edo, and I demanded the Shogunate employ me so I could also help my sister.

"When I visited her in a small village, at the place they lived, I was happy to bring her the news of Battousai's fate. She refused any further help from me, and the Shogunate, and I couldn't understand why she would turn me away, to tell me to go back to Edo. Why would she have mercy on that terrible man when all he did was kill people and destroy the happiness of their loved ones?!

"My sister went into the mountains to face the Shogunate, and I was on my way up as well. I had no idea what had happened at the time, but when I got to the scene, all I saw was Battousai slicing his katana through a Shogunate employee and my sister. I saw the monster murder my sister. After that, I fought for the Shogunate, we lost, and I couldn't stand to stay in the country that had forsaken my sister and deemed Battousai a hero."

Enishi paused to catch his breath, and Koishi slowly sat on the bed beside him. She could not say a word as her owner gathered the courage to continue on with what happened next.

"I moved here, to Shanghai. It was a very tough life, but especially harder for me because I didn't know the language. I was starved, stealing food off the food carts. I would get caught, and get a beating with a bamboo rod. I ate the carcasses off the streets; dogs, rats, anything. I was always sick and disease-ridden.

"…And then a Japanese family saw me lying on the road, they took me in, cared for me, and nursed me back to health. They were a happy family; something never knew anything about. I couldn't stand their happiness, in my demented mind, so as soon as I was on my feet again, I…killed them all."

Although Enishi spoke unemotionally, Koishi could tell it was hard for him to remember what he did.

"I took their wealth, climbed the mafia ladder, and became a Chinese mafia boss. I sold deadly weapons out in the black market, killed many other people, and lived a life of ruining other peoples' lives. Then I went to Japan, ten years later, to seek revenge on Battousai. I attacked him and his friends, made him believe the woman he loved was dead, casted him into a living hell.

"He snapped out of it, and came to rescue his woman. We fought on a beach of an island I took myself and the girl to; I was crazed, and I lost. The girl gave me my sister's diary, I read it while on a ship back to Japan while under arrest, and I learned the truth from her. The Shogunate used her pain and grief, used her to get close to Battousai, and in a way, they were the cause of her death. I escaped from my arrest, jumped ship, and ended up at the Fallen Village. In the end, I lost everything, even my sister's smile. She had never smiled for me since."

Koishi was silent for a moment before she asked, "What made you get up from the Village?"

"The sense of having to stop the Chinese mafia and the black market, to prevent them from causing any more harm to other people."

"So, why are you trying to get back into the mafia?"

Koishi was smarter than she let on, and was at least able to put the pieces together.

"What better way to destroy the organization than to penetrate it and attack from within?"

"Why don't you just kill the boss, the one in your way?" she inquired.

Enishi laughed humorlessly and answered, "China doesn't like foreigners too much, and what better excuse to use than a foreigner who killed a native?"

"So, why do you want to die?"

Enishi was hoping Koishi would skip that question, but luck was not on his side.

"It's so hard, doing this for seventeen years, trying not to be like my younger self, and still, no smile from nee-san. I just don't know what she wants from me."

Koishi stared at him while saying, "You must also forgive yourself. Don't make excuses for your actions, and find just a bit of happiness. I'm sure your sister would also want you to be happy."

"There is no happiness for me."

"That's why I said, find just a bit of happiness; but first, you must rest."

He was just about to rest again when he heard her speak.

"Don't you..." she hesitated, but forced herself to ask. "Don't you have family out there?"

"The old man," he answered. "He was also at the village, but he has since passed; not that I care."

"You don't…care about your father?"

"Why should I?" Enishi asked before he shook his head. "I must be…so difficult to be around."

"Eh?" Koishi asked.

"I must be so difficult to be around." He repeated before he further explained. "My father left me, my Nee-san chose to leave me in Edo to go to Kyoto, and no one in my family came to claim me after the fall of the Shogunate…no one wants to stay with me."

No one wanted him, to be with him, to stay with him. So, what was the point of further living? He should just go to sleep into that eternal rest, regardless if he goes to the seventh circle of hell. At least there, he had a place; at least there, that hell would want him to stay.

"Stay with me, Enishi!"

He opened his eyes at the desperate voice of his bedside companion and blinked at her as she leaned over hm.

Koishi placed gentle hands on his face and cradled Enishi's face with both of those soften hands. "Please, stay with me…"

He continued to stare at her, even as her image faded and he was consumed with darkness…

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Koishi stirred as bright rays of light filtered in through the window behind her. She groaned, not wanting to arise. She knew her chores had to be done; there was always the laundry the wash, school to go to, and also clean her room.

Maybe her father was cooking her favorite, sukiyaki. Her father was the kindest, most gentle man ever. He never failed to brighten up her sad days with a smile, a hug, and maybe, even ohaki.

Koishi smiled and slowly opened her eyes. She frowned when she realized the room was not her bedroom. Memories of the past two and a half months flashed through her brain, and she remembered she was not in her room, in Japan, but in Shanghai.

She looked around the room, and remembered it was the room she had treated a wounded Enishi in. Still, she questioned; why was she in the bed he was lying on?! She sat up faster than a petrified rabbit and as she saw there, she realized there was no Enishi in the bed with her.

Rather, she was the only one in the bed with the royal-red silk sheet over her. She was still in her yukata, but she specifically remembered dozing off in the chair across the room. Wait; where was Enishi?!

Koishi quickly threw the sheet off of herself, and checked every room for her owner. When she got to the kitchen, she saw the Chinese cook there. That meant it was one of the days the staff was on duty.

She politely bowed to the hired hand, and asked, "Hu?"

Koishi knew the cook would not understand Mandarin, but he would at least understand Enishi's Chinese nickname.

The cook spoke in Cantonese, and pointed out to the back of the property. That more than likely meant the pond. She bowed her thanks to the man, left the kitchen, went through the ballroom, and through the glass doors.

She stopped when she saw a few men, Enishi and Feng included, gathered together. Damn her misfortune! They all turned to look at her, Koishi smiled nervously, and she tried to go back inside.

"Wait, girl!" a man spoke in Mandarin.

"I apologize, sir," Koishi said to him in the Mandarin dialect. "But it's impolite for me to be out in my yukata."

"Its fine; really." The same man said.

"No, sir, I really—"

"Stay here, Koishi." Enishi said in a low, dangerous voice that made her breath hitch in her throat.

His back was to her, and he wore a royal-blue kung fu suit with his dark lensed spectacles, accompanied with the yin and yang earring.

Yukishiro Enishi was in dangerous mode.

"Yes, sir." Koishi said in a low voice, and a low bow.

The two other men laughed, and one even slapped Enishi on the back while stating, in Mandarin, "You got her very well-trained!"

Koishi flushed with indignity, and she quickly turned around to close the glass doors while simultaneously hiding her face. It was not proper in the Chinese society for a woman to express her indignity in the company of men.

She then went to stand behind Feng, whom she semi-trusted, while Enishi and the other man talked. The man was a very short man; short even for Chinese, but he had an aura of confidence that made him seem taller. He was a man with mostly gray hair, and a very long, thin moustache.

Did all these criminals look less than desirable?!

Koishi then thought of Huang, a very handsome, desirable man, but still as dangerous as a shark in bloody water. She then noticed that Enishi held his watou in his right hand. What was going on?! She glanced over at Feng, but he stood unmovable, every muscle in his body tense.

Why would they want her there?!

"Hello, miss," the short, older Chinese man greeted. "I'm Jun, the master's lawyer."

"Hello." Koishi greeted, and wondered how a lawyer ended up with the name Jun, meaning "honest."

A movement to the right of Koishi's peripheral vision caught her attention. She looked, as well as the other men present, and saw Huang calmly walking towards the group, flanked by Gang and some Chinese man she had never seen before.

The anonymous man was just a few inches shorter than Enishi, broad shoulders and muscular, with long, ebony hair kept in a high ponytail. He wore a bright red kung fu style shirt and pants, and he carried a sheathed sword.

The saya, or sheathe, was thicker than a katana sheath, which meant the blade was thicker. It was more than likely a Chinese sword.

Koishi's breath hitched in her throat. Did this mean there was going to be a sword fight? Was Enishi one of the fighters?

"Ah, just the person I wanted to see!" Huang exclaimed, in Japanese, when he finally got to the group.

Without greeting anyone else, as if he had tunnel vision, Huang walked right up to Koishi with a pleasant smile. He presented a simple package to her. She was so distracted by what was going on around her that she never noticed the handsome Chinese man carrying a 4x4 square box with a red ribbon on it.

Huang tsk-ed and said, "Hu is so impolite for letting you walk outside in your yukata."

Koishi's eyes widened for a fraction. He was insulting Enishi as if he was not even there!

"No, sir," she corrected. "I came out on my own, wearing my yakata."

"Well," Huang said, very pleasant. "Then it's a good thing I bought you this."

He held out the box with the red ribbon on it. Koishi hesitated; was it okay for her to accept it? Huang, as polite and kind as his façade is, was not her owner. Then again, Enishi informed everyone that they were lovers. Even then, was it okay for her to accept it? Would it offend Enishi?

"Please open it, Koishi." Huang requested.

Koishi could feel her heart pound as she was very aware that everyone was staring at them, but Huang paid them no mind, as if they were not present.

She swallowed hard, and opened the box.

Inside was the most beautiful Japanese kimono she had ever seen! It was made of the finest silk, ruby-red in color, patterned with plum blossoms in gold.

"It's very beautiful." Koishi stated breathlessly.

"It's for you."

Koishi opened and closed her mouth several times before Enishi interrupted, "Shall we get on with the day's agenda?"

"Is this dear, beautiful girl allowed to accept gifts, Hu?" Huang asked, his face still smiling.

"It depends," Enishi answered with an indifferent shrug. "What're your intentions?"

Huang looked back at Koishi with a smile.

"I am hosting the Dragon boat festival in a few weeks, here in Shanghai," Huang informed her. "And I would love if you wore this kimono to the festival."

"You're inviting me to a festival, sir?" Koishi asked.

"Of course."

"Is he invited, too?" Koishi asked while indicating Enishi with her eyes.

Huang's smile darkened to a psychotic face. He nodded once and said, "Would you also come to the festival, Hu? It would be an honor for me if you graced me with your presence."

Koishi worried the sides of her yukata with her hands. The sound in the handsome man's voice…it sounded too delighted, almost bordering on sarcasm.

"I would be honored." Enishi replied with the same tone.

"It's settled, then." Huang said to Koishi. "Wear this, please, to the festival."

"It's too beautiful—"

"Then think of this as a replacement for the beautiful hanfu Zhen ruined."

Koishi bowed her gratefulness and took the box from the Chinese mafia boss. Huang seemed very pleased that she accepted; too pleased. He quickly leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Her eyes grew wide, and her face suddenly felt hot.

He winked at her, and as if he remembered there were others gathered, he turned to them and said, "Let us continue with the events."

Enishi and the new Chinese man walked away a few yards from the men gathered, both carrying their weapons. Koishi's breath caught in her throat; it was a sword fight!

"Are you alright, dear?" Huang asked Koishi in a soft voice, though his eyes were still locked on the two about to battle. "Have you never seen a two man sword standoff before?"

"Carrying swords are forbidden in Japan." Was all she managed to squeak out.

"So, that's a 'no'?"

"Correct." Koishi answered, and then swallowed. "Is….Is this a standoff of points, or—"

"The best swordsman wins." Huang answered, his voice still pleasant.

Koishi's heart started to pound in her chest. Did that mean it was a fight to the death? She tried to breathe easy, but she suddenly felt a bit dizzy, and she hugged the gift tightly to her body. She watched with sick fascination as both men unsheathed their swords; their blades clean and shinning in the sun.

_Don't discard your sheathe!_

Koishi's heart sank as she watched Enishi drop his sheathe to the ground beside him. The opponent's sword was a Chinese general's type sword; the blade was double edged, the handle was elongated and strong.

The two men waited for the signal, the tension rose; Koishi could hardly breathe because of the tense atmosphere… or maybe because of her nervousness.

The short, elderly man clapped his hands together once, and the two opponents clashed blades. Koishi squeezed the box closer to her body as she watched sparks fly from the blades striking each other.

She noted that the younger Chinese man had the upper hand due to his youth. Not that Enishi was old, but he certainly did not have the speed of a youth; either that he fought slow to conserve energy. That would be wise, for even a person with the energy of a young one would still wear out eventually.

Blades clinked and clanked together, sparks flew as each one tried to wound the other. It seemed evenly matched until the Chinese man thrust his blade forward. Enishi sidestepped the attack just in time, but the two edged blade still caught his upper left arm.

Koishi flinched as she saw red blood flow freely from the cut. Enishi, however, calmly glanced at the wound, and the standoff started anew. As the two continuously battled, Koishi would flinch each time Enishi would come close to receiving a wound.

Both swordsmen broke apart, stopped for a short time; both breathing heavily and perspiration glistened on their bodies. Then, the Chinese man moved, but not the way anyone expected. He stood on one foot, rested the other foot on his leg, and held the sword in front of him.

Enishi stood, unmoving. It then occurred to Koishi that her owner had never fought this young man before, and he had been testing out the young man's abilities. The Chinese man jumped, soaring in the air, closed the distance between them, and brought his sword down.

Enishi was ready, but the young man exchanged the sword from one hand to the other, and brought the blade upward. As soon as their blades crossed, the Chinese man landed and swept kicked his opponent down, and Enishi lost his watou, just out of reach.

Koishi worried her finger knuckle between her teeth as she watched the scene play out before herself and the witnesses.

Enishi felt around for his sword as the young Chinese man brought his sword down to make the killing blow. The white-haired man kicked his opponent in the gut, jumped to his feet and retrieved his watou.

Koishi inhaled a shaky breath as the two swordsmen rested.

Enishi placed two fingers to his tinted spectacles and pushed them back up the bridge of his nose. He clasped the handle of his watou in his left hand, placed his right hand on the blade of his weapon and held it, blunt side towards him, and sharp edge towards his opponent. He then crouched low to the ground, left leg bent inward and right leg drawn out.

Koishi inwardly flinched; for she knew he was reopening his previous wound on his side with the position he put himself in.

The young man either was very rash, or he did not know Enishi very well, for he rushed to attack. Enishi then used his crouched position to thrust his watou blade up and into the Chinese man's chest.

Koishi jumped upon seeing a man being killed.

It did not stop there, for the blade was stuck in the man's chest. Enishi stood back up on his feet, and kicked the blunt end of his blade up with the side of his right foot. The blade sliced the young man in half from chest to head, and red blood sprayed everywhere.

The old Chinese man said something that Koishi could not hear. She could not hear or feel anything; just numbness. She had finally seen the other side of Enishi's nature, but she did not know how she felt, or what to think.

She felt a light touch on her shoulder, and she looked over to see it was Huang.

"Are you alright?" he asked with believable genuine kindness. "You look pale."

Koishi quickly inhaled as if she had been holding her breath throughout the fight, and a sudden wave of dizziness came over her. She inhaled deeply a few more times, but remained firmly on her feet.

After she was done, she allowed a tiny smile and replied, "I'm fine; thank you, sir."

Huang also smiled back and said, "Please remember the Dragon Boat festival."

"Yes, and I'll wear this kimono. Thank you very much for your hospitality."

Huang leaned in close to her, and stated, "I do not give you gifts for the sake of hospitality, my dear Koishi."

He turned and left with Gang by his side.

_To Be Continued…_


	10. Chapter 10

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 10_

Koishi was completely silent, even as Feng congratulated Enishi on his win. She just hugged the box, a gift given to her by Huang, close to her.

What was she supposed to think; to say? Why was she even told to stay and watch in the first place? Was there some reason for the senseless madness?

"Hu," Koishi managed to say. Both Enishi and Feng looked at her as if they just realized she was there. "You wounds need to be treated." She concluded.

Enishi stared just a moment at Koishi before he nodded once and bid goodbye to his secondhand man, Feng. He followed the young woman to the room she had treated his wounds a few days ago. He calmly sat on the bed and waited as she placed the box on the floor.

"You need to take off your clothes." Koishi said with a tinted blush on her cheeks.

"It's just here." Enishi said, indicating to his left shoulder.

"I mean the other wound on your side."

"It's fine." He insisted.

"Just let me see." She said with aspiration.

Enishi stripped all his clothes off after Koishi turned her back to him. He felt it was all a bit ridiculous since she had seen all of him, even if it was just a glance. He laid on the bed again, flat on his back. She kept her eyes trained on the wound.

She unwrapped the bandages and hissed with she saw the angry, red liquid flow freely out the raw wound once more. She shook her head at him with a tinted glare in her eyes, her eyebrow arched perfectly.

"I don't know why you went through all that treatment and sickness just to reopen this wound again." Koishi scolded.

"It's fine."

"This is serious, Enishi!" she shouted at him. "You could've ripped this open more! You need stitches on this! I'm not a doctor! I'm not qualified to treat this! You can get an infection and die! Do you realize that?!"

Enishi blinked at Koishi. He took his tinted spectacles and his yin yang earring off and set them aside on the dresser beside the bed.

"I can't have a doctor come and treat this." He explained in a low voice.

"Why not?"

"I belong to an organized crime ring, Koishi. I can't have others knowing that I'm being treated because then they'll know I'm vulnerable. They'll come here and kill us; or rather me, because Huang won't let anything happened to you. They'll probably kill me and take you."

"I'm not interested in Huang." Koishi stated as she began the same treatment as before. "How did you get this wound in the first place?"

"I went to meet a government official, I didn't bring my watou, and I should have, but to bring a weapon would send the official a 'I don't trust you' message. I was confronted by Huang and a group of his men, some had swords, and Feng stopped the fight. He said the only way to solve this present disagreement is a swordfight between me and Huang's strongest swordsman."

"Why was I made to stay for the fight?" Koishi asked, now rewrapping the wound.

"To prove to Huang that I don't keep anyone close to me."

"Yet you trust Feng." She accused.

"I don't trust anyone." Enishi corrected his gaze on the ceiling. "And I don't keep anyone close to me. Ever."

"I'm not a part of this organization—"

"I can't allow anyone to have leverage over me, either."

"I don't think I understand…" Koishi said with a slight frown on her face.

"These people seem to think that we're a couple, and yes, that was my original plan; but now, they think they can use you to get to me."

"But we're not—"

"Especially Huang; aside from being attracted to you, if that's what you want to call it, he wants to turn the tables. He wants to see if he can use you to get to me."

"But we're not—"

"Good," Enishi stated as he sat up, still bare. "Then you'll have no qualms when I tell you to distract Huang during the Dragon Boat festival."

"Distract? …Again?"

"You know, charm him, and flirt with him; be interested."

"That would send the wrong signals to him!" Koishi protested.

"You're going to do this." Enishi ordered, pulling "master" rank on her.

Koishi glared daggers at him, and he stared back, unrelenting.

"Why can't I just go home?" she asked. "You don't need me for anything."

"Well, even if I did send you home, which I'm not, it would be very dangerous for your family and friends, if you have any friends. You've seen the main people involved in this organization, you know their names. There's no way you would be able to live in peace without looking over your shoulder the rest of your life. Everyone associated with you would be in constant danger as well."

Koishi's bottom lip started to tremble, so she worried it between her teeth as she tried to swallow past the thick lump forming in her throat. Enishi calmly stood up and dressed in his kung fu style clothes.

"Forget the life you had in Japan." He said, his back still turned to her. "There is no going home for you."

He calmly turned and walked out of the room.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

By the time Enishi saw Koishi again, it was late evening. He was in the ballroom practicing this Watoujitsu when he saw her standing in the doorway of the double doors.

"You're going to reopen your wound again." Koishi said in a thick, worn voice.

Enishi paused for a moment to glance at her. She had puffy, swollen eyes and both her eyes and nose was red and raw; she had been crying hard.

"I'm just doing basic hand-eye coordination." Enishi informed. "Nothing like you saw today."

"What was that, anyway?"

"The attack where I was crouched down is called Senran Tousei. I sort of finished it off with another attack called Shuugeki tousei; at least a raw version of it."

"On the ship here, you mentioned your sword style is Garyu Wattoujitsu." Koishi commented, even though she knew that "garyu" meant he taught himself. "How?"

"There was a book I saw when I was a boy, here in Shanghai, and it had everything, word for word, on Wattoujitsu."

"How did you perfect the attacks, then?"

"Lots and lots and lots of practice." Enishi answered, emphasizing the "lots."

"What gave you the inspiration to learn it?" Koishi asked as she sat, seiza style, on the shiny wood floors.

"Not what, but who." Enishi corrected. "Hitokiri Battousai, so I could face him and deliver Jinchuu to him for the death of my sister."

Koishi nodded once, for he already told her the story of his sister's death at the hands of the most feared assassin of all time.

"What was your sister like?" she could not help but ask. After all, he put himself through hell to deliver his own justice to the man who killed his sister. She must have been special, to hold such power over men's hearts.

"…I never knew my mother, for she died when I was an infant. My father left before I could have any strong memories of him. My sister was the one who took good care of me, even though she was only eight years old."

"That's good." Koishi said. "I don't know if my brother would've taken care of me under those similar circumstances."

She gave a quick, single laugh and then fell silent. Her eyes started to glisten with fresh tears. She cleared her throat before she changed the subject.

"I'm not sure how to distract Huang at the Dragon boat festival." She stated.

"Just merely being around is enough distraction for him." Enishi reassured.

"What if… what if he wants to do something I don't want?"

"Don't leave yourself alone with him."

"And where will you be?" Koishi asked, once again raising a perfectly arched brow.

"I will be finishing up some business."

"Fair enough." She said. "Just give me a brief lesson on 'distraction' your way. Please."

"Keep him talking," Enishi instructed. "That bastard loves to show off his wealth in extravagant ways, such as hosting the festival. Ask him all sorts of questions you can think of, have him introduce you to his wife and mistress."

"…I thought his wife was dead."

"Is a widower not allowed to remarry?"

"Oh," Koishi said. "He already has a wife and mistress. Why is he 'interested' in me?"

"He loves to conquer women; just tallies them up."

Koishi made a face of disgust.

"And the wife has no problems with the mistress?"

Enishi shrugged and answered, "Huang keeps them in line."

"How do I know when I'm done distracting him?"

"Give me fifteen minutes from the time I leave you to him."

Koishi nodded, stood up, and walked out of the ballroom.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Enishi and Koishi walked down the dirt road into the crowded city of Shanghai. Even though it was warm, thick, dark clouds blotted out the hot sun from above. They walked in silence; the only sound between them was the sound of their rocks and dirt as they tarried on.

Enishi's left hand held the brown rucksack over his shoulder, which held his watou. Ever since he was attacked when he went out without his sword, he became more paranoid and he never went anywhere without his weapon now.

Even when they were the only ones in his lonely mansion together, he carried his watou everywhere, only without the brown sack. He carried it to the library, to the dining room, placing it against the wall but still close to him. She glanced at him, but he never offered an explanation for it.

Koishi wore her now faded pink kimono, which was now getting a little high above the ankles. She grew just an inch, and since she was now sixteen, she would not grow any taller. She was a petite height for a young Japanese woman.

Enishi was still taller than most Japanese people by a good foot. He wore his traditional accessories; the tinted spectacles accompanied with the yin yang earring in his left ear. His clothes, however, were less than Chinese traditional; orange kung fu style pants with a bright blue stripe up the sides of both legs, and a matching orange kung ku shirt with bright blue on the sleeves, collar, and in the middle of the shirt, where the cloth buttons were located.

He also wore his blue cloak around his shoulders, the brown rucksack behind him, and everything was completed with very shiny, well-polished Western-style black shoes.

Before they left, Enishi asked Koishi if she felt she could make the walk into the city. She smiled and informed him that she could probably out walk him. And the challenge was on. She just found it ironic that the day after her birthday was the day they were going into the city.

"How many years did you live here after you came?" Koishi asked so as to kill the silence.

"Thirteen years."

"What did you miss about Japan?"

"Bitsuni."

Koishi looked up at Enishi with a perplex expression.

"Nothing?" she repeated his answer.

"Nope." He confirmed genuinely.

"How can you simply let go of everything you grew up with?"

"The person I cared about the most was gone. That's how I was able to let go of Japan."

"Then what do you like about Shanghai?"

"Nothing."

Now Koishi fully frowned.

"You don't like Japan and you don't like China?"

"Nope."

"I don't understand you…"

"I don't have any close ties to Japan and China."

"So, you're just adrift without an anchor to any country." Koishi stated.

"You're quite observant." Enishi said with sarcasm.

The deep city of Shanghai started to come into view. People carried on with their daily routines and the buzzing of conversations filled the air. People drawing rickshaws ran passed them in various ways as the wooden wheels clicked and clanked with the rocks in the dirt roads.

Koishi drew a breath and looped her arm around Enishi's right arm. His left hand still held the brown rucksack over his shoulder, which held his watou. She held his arm tightly, not wanting to get lost in the hustle of the city.

He led them to the open market by the Shanghai port they arrived from. She gave a longing look at the ship that was in port.

The market was still as crowded and noisy as before. Market sellers yelling their prices and deals at pedestrians and the loud murmur of conversations buzzed around them.

Enishi led them through the open market, zigzagging through the crowd and carts, until finally, he came to a cart that sold traditional Chinese clothes. He greeted the cart owner in Cantonese, and started conversing.

Koishi looked at the surroundings, and still saw a ship in port. Next to that port was a message office. An idea came to her; maybe she should send a message to her family, just to let them know she was alright. She would not tell them her exact location, but just to keep them from worrying, she should let them know something.

She heaved a heavy sigh and looked down to the dirt ridden ground. Her eyes lit up when she saw a few Chinese Yuan there. She quickly picked up the discarded coins and held them tightly in her hand. It should be enough to get a message to them. She held the coins in her hand and started to walk towards the message office.

Out of nowhere, a Chinese woman came up excitedly to Koishi and led her away, talking in Cantonese. Koishi tried to protest, but the woman had a strong grip on her upper arm. The woman stopped at a jewelry cart, and she motioned to the accessories with a sweep of her arm, and a proud smile.

Koishi gave the woman a shaky smile and she gazed at the shiny accessories. They were all very beautiful and very desirable, but she wanted to send a message back to Japan with the money she found.

The problem was, however, that she did not know the Cantonese dialect, so she did not know how to communicate with the cart woman. She smiled a closed-lipped smile as the woman started talking to her again.

Koishi shook her head and turned to leave, but the woman stood in front of her, speaking the Cantonese dialect, and she held up two fingers.

Koishi knew enough Chinese to know that the woman was trying to bargain with her, but she had to find her way back to Enishi; she would send the message after she found him. The woman turned her around again, talking, and pointed to various items while holding up any number of fingers.

Koishi wanted to leave, but her eyes caught something; a single earring with a gold tiger hanging from it, and a single jewel for the eye, topaz-blue in color. Her eyes widened a fraction, and unfortunately, began to look very interested.

A Chinese name came into her mind, and she giggled to herself, but simultaneously, it was such accurate timing; Hu. Maybe he would like it.

Koishi smiled at the woman and pointed to the single earring. The woman nodded vigorously, spoke in Cantonese, and held up five fingers. Koishi's smile faded, but she gave the woman all the coins she had. The woman's eyes widened as she inspected each coin and then looked at her customer.

She quickly took the single earring, placed it in a small box, and handed it to Koishi while vigorously bowing in respect.

"Thank you." Koishi said in Mandarin dialect, even though she knew the woman would not understand.

Koishi turned to walk back to Enishi, and as she walked back, a group of three onlookers, men, blocked her way. She gave them a polite smile, and tried to go around them, but they once again blocked her way. Were they troublemakers?

She had no choice but to turn around and go the opposite way in order to avoid trouble, and she tried to do so calmly. Her heart pounded in her chest, both in fear and panic, as she looked around wildly. Various times, the same men would block her way, and she would go the opposite direction.

She was so frantic that she had no idea where she was going, or how to find Enishi again. Koishi tried to go back to the open market place, but the men, three in number, kept blocking her way countless times. Finally, she decided to hide in a narrow, blocked alleyway between two very close buildings.

Her breathing was rapid, and her heart pounded in her chest, threatening to explode. After a few minutes, she tried to decide if it was safe enough to venture back. With shaky knees, she peeked out of the side of the building.

Unfortunately, when Koishi tried to make her escape, she bumped right into one of the three men. She gave a very strong scream before a hand closed around her mouth, and all three men dragged her back into the blocked alleyway.

She tried to fight them the whole time, and tried to scream, but her screams were muffled by the hand over her mouth. They spoke to each other, but to Koishi's ears, the sound was muffled by her frantic, pounding heart and throaty screams.

The first man covered her mouth with his hand as she felt the other men lift her kimono up. Tears brimmed in her eyes and over flowed, but still she kept struggling, and she tried to kick them off. The clouds above them boomed, and few drops of rain came down.

Koishi bit the hand covering her mouth, and for an instant, he released her, and she screamed once more; a long, loud, blood curdling scream that ripped through her vocals. The last part of her scream, however, was muffled by the loud thunder in the clouds above.

The clouds gave another loud, rolling thunder, and sheets of rain came streaming down. The two other men tried to grab Koishi's kicking legs, but the pouring rain made them hard to grab on to. In frustration, one of the men gave her a stinging slap across the face.

Koishi winced, but she kept kicking for all she was worth. One of the men stood up with a stream of words, and gave the girl a hard kick to her thigh. She cried out in pain and held her hand to her injury.

The man laughed, but then suddenly stopped; his eyes grew wide, and his mouth hung wide open. His companions frantically asked him questions when suddenly, a long, sharp blade came out of his chest and blood sprayed everywhere, mixing with the pouring rain.

The blade then sliced the man down from the chest to the groin, spilling his intestines on the ground. The other two men released Koishi and backed away, only to be the victims of their own scheme by being trapped by the blocked alleyway.

Koishi looked up and saw her rescuer, Enishi. He did not look at her, for his blue topaz, fathomless eyes were trained on the remaining two men. His eyes were in a deep, hated scowl, and his lips were pulled back into a sneer.

She had never once seen him look so terrible! Even when he fought the other Chinese man, he had a cool aura about him. She trembled as she moved over the short distance and pressed herself up against the side of the building. Enishi calmly walked forward, his watou blade promised them their deaths.

The two men fell to their knees and started begging in Cantonese, but the terrible look on Enishi's face did not soften. Koishi knew what was going to happen, so she curled herself up into sitting fetal position, and put her arms over her head.

The begging men were soon silenced after a sickening sound of blade ripping up flesh. She knew blood sprayed everywhere, but she could not tell if it was blood, or the rain, that fell around them. All was silent once more, only she heard his footsteps moving, and then stopped in front of her.

Koishi, trembling from shock, slowly looked up at Enishi, and he glared down at her with a deadly look. The blood on his watou blade slowly faded to a light pink as the rain washed it away. Both of them were soaked from the sheets of water pouring down. Pieces of her hair was sticking to her cheeks as the rest of her ebony hair stuck to her kimono.

Enishi flicked his blade, and the rest of the blood on the blade flew off it. He sheathed his watou, put it back in his rucksack, and grabbed her arms with his hands, pulling her up to her feet. He none too gently pressed her back against the side of the building.

"Didn't I tell you to stay close?" Enishi hissed dangerously.

Koishi's lip trembled, and all she could do was nod then say, "Gomen nasai."

Enishi's hard glare softened and he released her. He turned and walked out of the alleyway. Koishi did not bother to look at the grizzly scene, but quickly ran to catch up with him; her hand still clutching the small box.

_To Be Continued…_

Gomen nasai: A deep, meaningful apology

AN: I know, this chapter is shorter than expected, and please believe me, it use to be longer. What happened was, I had another computer, and this entire story was edited with some scenes taken out, some put in, you know, the works. The bad news is, that computer is under Rest In Peace mode, and there is no bring it back from the dead, and unfortunately, that was where I had this entire story edited. This story is still completed, but now I have to try to remember the extras I put into it. I hope it will still come out the way I wanted it to.

The situation just sucks… but, in a high note, I will still post another chapter on my regular schedule.


	11. Chapter 11

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 11_

Due to the pouring rain, the duo took a carriage back to the mansion. They stopped at the same place by the port that they came to when they first got off the ship. When the carriage driver opened the door, instead of Enishi going in first, he allowed Koishi to go first.

She sat down on the nearest seat. He got in and sat on the opposite side, and after he sat down, she immediately sat beside him. She looped her arm around his, he stiffened and then relaxed. He made no protest, but he did not comfort her back, either.

Koishi did not care; just having someone close by that she could at least trust was enough comfort for her. They were both drenched from the rain, but only Koishi was shaking; her hands still tightly clenched around the small box.

"Are you cold?" Enishi asked.

"No," she answered through chattering teeth. "I don't know why I'm shivering."

"Probably from shock."

She just nodded and the silence between them dragged on.

Koishi did not mind his silence. She already knew it was just Enishi's nature. She gently leaned towards him and rested the side of her head on his arm. He stiffened for a fraction and then relaxed. Maybe it had been a long time since he had intimate, nonsexual touches.

The ride was silent the whole way back. Once there, the carriage stopped outside the property gates, and the driver opened the door. Enishi got out first, turned, and held his free hand out for Koishi, which she accepted.

They walked down the long dirt path to the mansion in the pouring rain, but Koishi did not mind since they were both still thoroughly soaked anyway.

They got to the mansion's double doors, to the spot where people take off their shoes just before they stepped up onto the main wooden floors. They took off their shoes, and Koishi reached behind her and started untying her obi.

She then took off her kimono and let it fall to the floor in a wet sop. She then stood only in a haori, or under shirt that both men and women wear under their kimonos. It was just enough length to reach her upper thighs.

Unfortunately, the haori was an off-white color, and was thoroughly soaked, so it did little to provide any coverage. Enishi glanced at Koishi as he secretly looked over her from head to toe. She was almost athletically thin with curves that were almost fully developed. Her breast were small, but not so small that they did not have a bounce, either; just the perfect size.

His eyes roamed down her legs. Even though they were short in length, and her left thigh was already developing an ugly, dark bruise, they looked so soft and creamy. They were athletic legs, but not overly done with muscle; still feminine.

_Look away, you fool!_ He chastised himself.

By the time Koishi looked at Enishi, he already recomposed himself, and his eyes were back to her face, giving her a questioning look.

"I don't want to get your floors wet." She explained as she lifted her leg up to take her tabi socks off, almost giving him a beaver shot. "I'll come get it when I change into something dry."

Enishi gave a single nod and allowed her to turn to the right, towards the Japanese style bathhouse. After he was sure she was bathing, he also quickly undressed, put his drenched clothes with her kimono, and went upstairs towards a bath.

OOOOOOOOO

Koishi sank into the warm water, letting it roll over her body and relax every muscle; very good therapy, especially with the storm still raging outside. She sighed in content as what little practice she had in swordsmanship came to her, allowing her to control her mind; leaving it blank.

She did not want to think about the day's events, to dwell on the three men that were killed because of her foolishness. Her actions put her in that situation, just like her actions put her in the situation to be kidnapped and sold.

Koishi sighed again, only with resolution, and got out of the ofuro with a groan. She got a bathrobe on, walked out of the bathhouse, and walked upstairs to the bedroom she uses; the Japanese style bedroom.

After she walked inside, she came to a dead stop. On the futon was a generous amount of Chinese clothes.

She went to the futon and picked up each outfit and inspected them; all of them looked exactly her size, not to mention they were feminine. She specifically did not remember any packages with them when they came back. After placing all the clothes away, Koishi went to the only place she knew for sure Enishi would be.

Sure enough, he was there at his desk and his watou at his side. He glanced over at her, and then resumed a somewhat meditated state with his eyes closed.

Koishi cleared her throat before she asked, "There were clothes in the room I use."

Enishi nodded once.

"I don't recall any packages being brought back with us." She coaxed.

"They were delivered a few minutes ago."

"Why?"

"I bought them." Enishi said as a matter of fact.

"T-Thank you…" Koishi replied, gratitude swelling within her.

Enishi shrugged, but it was his way of accepting her thanks. He kept his eyes closed, even though he knew she was still in the room, right in front of his desk.

"How," she prompted again. "How did you know where to find me?"

"Anyone with hearing could hear you scream, even over the thunder."

"Does…does it bother you…? Killing those men?"

Enishi opened his eyes to reveal blue topaz orbs. His eyes were hard like the stone they resembled; Koishi thought they almost looked like the irises of white tigers.

"I am used to it." Enishi answered with a hard tone.

Maybe it did bother him, but he just refused to reveal it. There was probably still some humanity left in him, even though she knew he killed an entire family, including the infant girl. Maybe Yukishiro Enishi was not the cold, cunning killer people thought he was.

Maybe all he needed was a chance; some relief.

"Those three men," Koishi began. "I-I claim their deaths on me."

Enishi gazed at her with an expression she could not name, if he had one.

"If you wish." He said.

Koishi nodded and asked, while point to the shelf of books behind her, "May I?"

Enishi waved his hand a single time for both permission and dismissal.

She calmly walked over to the books on the shelves. She randomly scanned them until one caught her eyes, and she could not believe she never saw it before. It was a thin book, easily hidden among the bigger, older books.

She squatted down and gently got the simple, brown covered book from the shelf. She cradled it tenderly in her hands as she stood back up and read the Japanese words: Japanese Haiku.

"The hummingbird visits my flowers," she whispered one passage. "Do you still think of me?"

She roamed over all the other passages until she came to another one.

"The vastness inside From love's sweet caress Rivals the velvet jeweled night. So beautiful…" Koishi breathed, and then turned to Enishi. "Do you mind if I borrow this?"

Enishi had already been staring intently at Koishi when she asked him about the book. After a moment of a stare down, he finally gave her a single nod of approval. She smiled wide, her eyes beamed and her face glowed brightly.

"Thank you!" she said as she exited the library and walked towards her bedroom.

OOOOOOOO

It was well late into the night and Koishi's eyes were getting droopy. She closed the book and set it aside on the table beside the futon. She was just about to turn off the oil lamp when a thought came to her; maybe she should bid Enishi goodnight.

She got out of her futon and made her way to the bedroom next to the library. She opened the door softly, and was irked when she saw there was no one in the room. So, she went over to the library and softly opened the door.

Enishi was there, semi-slouched in his chair, his eyes closed, and his breathing deep and even. Koishi walked over to face him. She could see his face in the dim light of the cloud-covered moon outside. Yet every now and then a lightning bolt would burst through the sky, from the ongoing storm, and she would see his face perfectly.

Enishi looked so peaceful while he was asleep, as if he had no care in the world; as if sleep was his only comfort. His face looked younger, almost boy-like, with his chiseled cheeks and chin.

Koishi left for a few minutes and brought back a pillow and thin blanket from his room. She carefully placed the pillow behind his head, and wrapped the thin blanket around him, carefully tucking it all around him.

She studied his face for a while, studying every feature, every curve. Enishi really was a handsome man. Maybe that was why women had been quite taken by him; she could not blame them, either. She held her hand towards him, hesitated, and gently caressed the side of his face with the back of her finger digits.

She was somewhat surprised when she felt his skin, and it was rather soft. It was not soft like a baby's skin, but it was silky to the touch. Then a fleeting thought came to her mind; what would it be like to kiss him?

Koishi held her weight with her left hand on the desk as she leaned in closer, her right hand cupped the side of his face. She moved very slowly, closer and closer, until their lips were only a hair's breath away.

She stopped, suddenly feeling very foolish for her actions. She would not steal a kiss from him, even if it was not his first kiss. She slowly pulled away, but their faces were still close. She dropped her hand from his face, leaned over and gently kissed his cheek.

Koishi then left the room, and closed the door behind her without a sound.

As soon as she left the room, Enishi's eyes opened instantly. He loosened the blanket around him and lifted a hand to the left side of his face; the sensation of where her fingers caressed and where she kissed him could still be felt.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Koishi looked herself over in the full length mirror in the room. Her mind was already critical of herself, even with the gorgeous ruby-red kimono with gold plum blossoms she wore. She braided and pinned her hair up herself.

She also painted her lips a ruby-red. She looked herself over again, a number of self-criticisms going through her mind. She wished her eyes were normal, she wished she had a more feminine figure, she wished her hair was thicker; she wished her lips were not so plump, and she wished her neck was a bit longer.

(In Japan, thin lips are sexier than plump lips, and a long neck is very attractive.)

With a disgusted sigh, Koishi turned her back on her reflection, not wanting to drive herself to tears. She walked down one of the curved staircases and waited for Enishi.

The weather outside was cloudy; normal weather for summers in Asian countries. There was no rain falling, but with the clouds present, no one could tell. Huang had not canceled the Dragon Boat Festival like Koishi hoped he could. She had hoped he would think the weather would be bad, and therefore cancel all arrangements.

Koishi worried the sides of her kimono in her hands with her head slightly bowed. Then she looked up and saw Enishi walk down the opposite staircase from the one she came down. He wore a kung fu outfit for men, navy-blue in color with white around the hems. He looked so dashing.

She looked down as he approached, her self-confidence nil. He looked her over and noticed her tense form, her lowered gaze.

"Doushitano?" he asked. (What's wrong?)

"I don't know if I can do this, Enishi." She answered, shaking her head in disgust. "I'm so unattractive!"

Enishi arched an eyebrow at her.

"Do you want to look in the mirror?" he asked.

"No! I already did, and I hate what I see!"

He blinked at Koishi and looked her over once again. The kimono clung just right on her feminine body, the ruby-red color clashed beautifully with her ebony hair and light skin. The red of the kimono, the thick darkness of her hair, all clashed together to bring out the very trueness of her blue eyes, while the unknown color towards the pupils took on a bluish-something else hue.

Enishi was not going to admit it out loud, but Huang picked out the kimono for Koishi very well, with very good taste. He looked back at her face, and she looked so desperate for him to say something about her appearance. He never understood what it was with young women and their self-critical ways.

"You look…beautiful." He forced himself to say.

Koishi was a very beautiful young woman, and he noticed that. It just was not Enishi's nature to complement a person vocally. The complement, however, seemed to lighten up her mood, and she smiled to herself with a pinkish hue tinting her cheeks, and that made her look even more beautiful.

Enishi then placed a yin yang earring in his ear, his tinted spectacles on his face, and he was once again a different man; the dangerous man.

As they departed, Koishi noticed Enishi was wearing his cloak around himself. That more than likely meant he was hiding his watou sword within the cloth.

The ride to the festival was a fair distance to a piece of privately owned land by the Shanghai River. There were many people enjoying the festivities, all from the upper echelon, all wearing their best clothing, from multicolored Manchurian dresses to multicolored changshan.

Koishi grabbed Enishi's arm, causing him to halt. He looked down at her, and she had a very scared, almost wild look in her eyes.

"Please, Enishi," she pleaded. "Don't leave me alone too long with these people!"

"Don't worry," he reassured. "Most of them will ignore you."

"Oh? Ignore me like Zhan? It so obvious she hates me, and I don't know why! Does she have feelings for you?"

For once, Enishi laughed; a deep throat, humorous laugh.

"No," he answered while shaking his head. "She hates me too, but she just can't embarrass me, or express it the way she does with you because of my status. Zhan just doesn't like foreigners coming into China. She thinks we're taking over the country."

"What if you don't find me before the festival is over?"

Enishi glanced down at Koishi and informed, "When the night comes, go to the riverbed and wait for me there. If I don't show up, Feng will help you back to the mansion."

Koishi nodded, and they once again headed off to the gathering.

It was an impressive sight with such a profound amount of people there. At the river, there were Chinese row boats lined up, all of them carved out to look like dragons, and all were painted various colors. All of them had a Chinese calligraphy number painted to the side of the boats, where the neck of the dragon was.

Standing with the boats was Huang. He wore a light blue changshang and the ever present smile on his face. He conversed with his three privileged guests, whom were in his company, and looked around every now and then. When he looked around another time, his eyes rested on Koishi.

He roamed his doe-like eyes up and down her form as they walked towards the gathering. With a smile, a sort conversation stopper, and a polite bow, he excused himself and walked towards his coveted prize.

"Koishi-san!" Huang greeted in Japanese with utmost delight. "Thank you so much for coming!" with disinterest, and eyes only on Koishi, he greeted, "Hu." to Enishi.

"Huang." Enishi greeted back with detest, and without a polite bow.

"Thank you for inviting us, sir." Koishi voiced her gratitude.

"Oh, Koishi, it was more than enough that you came." Huang said and he lifted up her hand and kissed the back of it.

Koishi's eyes grew wide and rouge blush flushed on her cheeks as Enishi's entire form stiffened in response. Huang smiled friendly and stated, "That is how Westerners greet a lady."

"Oh." Was all Koishi could say.

Huang looked at his rival with utmost politeness, and inquired, "May I borrow Koishi for a few more hours, Hu?"

Enishi looked at Huang with an unreadable expression, looked at Koishi, whom looked back desperately for him to deny the other man's request.

"You may, but I forbid you to make any use of her." Enishi simply answered.

_Damn you, Enishi!_ The young woman thought to herself as she walked with the handsome Chinese man towards the riverbank.

Koishi looked up at the light grey clouds that moved along lazily.

"Isn't it going to rain?" she asked.

"This is common weather for China." Huang answered. "Do you like it here in my country?"

"It's somewhat different than Japan," Koishi carefully answered. "I haven't been able to discover more of this large land, outside of Shanghai."

"You must see the countryside." Huang suggested. "I will take you wherever you wish to go, if you would like."

Koishi's face wavered for a split second before she regained herself again. Her mouth went dry, and her palms became clammy.

"Why are you so nervous around me?" Huang asked.

"I-I'm sure you can find a woman that would be more appropriate for you, sir." Koishi answered as politely as possible.

Huang stared at her for a moment before he asked, "What made you give up your entire life in Japan, and follow Hu all the way here, to China?"

Koishi opened and closed her mouth several times before Huang accused, "You're hesitating."

"I'm not very good at expressing emotions vocally." She answered truthfully. "We met, Hu and I, and I wanted so much to be with him."

Huang's focus went passed Koishi, his gaze over her shoulder, before he refocused his vision back to her. With utmost seriousness, he admitted, "I looked up your name in Kanji."

Koishi blinked, but the man continued, "Koishi; a pebble."

"I know," she said with a pretty blush to her cheeks. "It's a silly name. I get teased about it quite often."

"Then those people are fools. I like your name, for the Kanji of your name can take many forms. Koishii; a term of affection and endearment. Koishitau; to miss, to yearn for. Your name is a wonderful name because a pebble becomes love and affection."

"Thank you, sir." Koishi said with genuine gratitude. "I often asked my father why he couldn't think of a better name for me and he said, 'Because you're my cute little pebble, that you are.' His answer didn't help."

"Just call me Huang, please." He requested before he smiled warmly at her, and asked, "Speaking of your father, what does he do for a living?"

"…Why?" the young woman asked with caution.

"I'm merely curious, my dear."

"He…he works as an investigator for the police…why?"

"Does he work closely with government officials?" Huang pressed as he ignored her "why" question.

Koishi blinked and she frowned a bit, but answered, to the best of her knowledge, "No; I mean, he's been on a few jobs to protect certain officials, but nothing permeant and he's not friends with any of them."

Huang stared for a moment before he smiled again and informed, "We're going to start the dragon boat races now."

Huang and Koishi stood away from the bank as teams of twenty-two men got into a single boat. Five dragon boats with those twenty-two men paddled up the river to the starting point.

Koishi was somewhat amazed at how fast those long boats floated, as if they were designed to use every stroke to the fullest. She looked out of the corner of her eye, and saw Enishi standing at a distance with a few other men. She then turned her attention back to the race.

"Have you been to a Duanwu Festival before?" Huang asked.

(Duanwu Festival = The Chinese name for the "Dragon Boat Fesivals")

"No."

"I thought the Japanese have this festival in their country."

"Yes, we do; the _Tango no Sekku_." Koishi said. "Tokyo dwellers, though, put more emphasis on the Sakura festivals."

"Ah," Huang said. "One day, I would love to go to Japan during the Sakura festivals."

"It's a good time to go." She agreed. "How long does this festival last?"

"Several days, and until nightfall; but I have something special in store for nightfall, and I hope you can stay to see it!"

"Is it a swordfight?" Koishi asked wearily.

"Oh, no," Huang answered with an amused chuckle. "It's not a swordfight. It's enjoyable."

"I look forward to it, then." She said as the dragon boats came down the river.

The dragon boats streamed down in such an easy, flowing manner. Their long bodies glided with the flow of each team's peddle strokes. Finally, one dragon boat crossed the finish point first, and a group of onlookers clapped and cheered, obviously the ones who placed bets on that particular boat.

The boatmen slowly started to paddle back to the start of the river for another race, for the races were a few times in one hour with a brief resting period in between races.

Huang clapped his hands politely, obviously a neutral onlooker. Koishi saw a movement to her right, and she jumped when she looked and saw it was Enishi. His line of sight, however, was still on the dragon boat race.

"May I borrow her for a bit longer, Hu?" Huang asked without looking over to him.

"You may, just as long as you bring her back to me the same as she is now." Enishi answered coolly.

"I hate you." Koishi whispered to him before the Chinese man practically dragged her with him as he gently held her arm.

"Come now, my dear," Huang cooed. "I promise I won't do anything you don't feel comfortable with."

The young woman could only give a wobbly smile in response. Somehow she had the feeling that he did not keep promises very well.

_To Be Continued…_

**AN**: I'm going to drop a hint for you readers, and I hope I don't spoil too much, but there is a reason why Huang is asking Koishi about her father. Just try to keep it in mind for a later chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 12_

Enishi stood calmly by the river bank as the dragon boat racers maneuvered their boats at the starting point for another race. It was, traditionally, several races of the dragon boats during the Duwan festivals. His sharp blue topaz orbs honed in on one participant in particular.

He was a young man, late twenties, and was strongly built, but not overdone. The main, loyal right-hand man to Ju-Long, and also said mafia man's brother.

"Hu." A very sexy, feminine voice mewed behind him. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Yue." Enishi simply greeted after turned his head to look over his shoulder with a smirk.

Yue, the wife of Ju-Long, was a stunning woman, indeed. Her smooth, straight ebony hair moved like a soft flowing stream down her back, and some locks flowed over her shoulders. Her eyes were almond shaped with aquamarine irises, and her cheeks always had a subtle, natural blush to them.

Her body was very shapely, with very prominent breasts, and although her current Manchurian dress was hiding that mouth-watering, curvaceous body, Enishi knew from experience what it looked like without clothes, and it was all awe-worthy.

"You summoned me here for a reason, Hu." Yue reminded. She never knew his legal first name so she used the Chinese name he had been given.

"I need you to divert Jin for me, into an ambush. Be quick and make sure he is alone." Enishi answered.

"What do you intend to do with him?" she inquired.

"I just want to…have a friendly talk." He answered with a wicked smile.

"If I deliver him to you, then you must promise me you will kill him, because that curse in my life will definitely report it to my husband."

Ju-Long had his brother, Jin, report every activity his wife, Yue, did. Even though Jin wanted Yue, he made the woman's life hell by always watching her like a fox ready to pounce on a mouse.

"I can guarantee that something will happen." Enishi promised.

"And what do I get in return?" Yue asked with a mocking pout. "It's been far too long since you have visited me, and I do dearly miss your…skillful company."

The white haired man smirked again and inquired, "And how is it a payment when I would enjoy making that payment?"

"Because you will be doing all the hard work." the siren answered with a wink of her eye.

"I'm sure we can arrange something." Enishi agreed, now with a wave of indifference. "If you could distract Jin and bring him over to the west side of the river, then that would help me tremendously."

"Who's distracting Ju-Long?"

"I have it covered."

"How much time do we have?"

"I will give you ten minutes." Enishi said as he gently held Yue's chin between his thumb and finger. "That should be enough time for you right? My long lost vixen."

With those last words, he used his finger and thumb to knock her head back slightly in a form of rejection. Yue tilted her nose up to Enishi with a wave of superiority and concluded it with a "humph!"

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

He stood waiting by the river like a tiger waiting for his prey to come, and the tiger would pounce. His sharp blue topaz eyes observed the activities that continued on, and Yue was running behind schedule. He never did trust her, for without a husband, she would have nothing.

They both played the game of cat and mouse, but he was more the cat than the mouse. She would often leave herself out to him, waiting for him to pounce, and most of the time, he never took the bait. She could betray him, as so many often did, and that left him wondering if she was going to show up with her brother-in-law.

At least the place he picked out was secluded and away from witnessing eyes.

Yue worked her magic to lure her brother-in-law to the chosen location. It was not so much magic as it was Jin's intense desire to bed his sister-in-law. Like so many men around Ju-Long, they were quite taken by the beautiful woman, and many of those men greatly desired her; family members included.

Enishi hid in the foliage as Yue laughed and held Jin's hand as she led them to the riverbed. He kissed down her neck, hoping to gain her favor, and she laughed a soft bell-like laugh.

"We might get caught, Jin." She giggled.

"You brought me here." Jin countered. "Besides, I don't think anyone comes here to this area."

He was smiling brightly until he looked over Yue's shoulder, and saw Enishi standing a few feet away.

"You!" Jin exclaimed as he placed his sister-in-law in front of him as a makeshift barrier. "Japanese bastard! What're you doing here?!"

"You can relax, Jin." The white-haired man replied. "I'm just here to talk."

"Well I don't want to talk to you."

"It's just a friendly chat." Enishi said, but with a devious smile. "Tell me, Jin; how is Ju-Long's opium business?"

"I'm not telling you shit!"

The older man shrugged and approached with calm. The younger man mistook the other man's approach as threatening, which it was, and he jabbed a punch in an attempt to harm. Enishi easily caught the man's jab by grabbing his wrist, and he twisted around.

With his other hand, Enishi held the back of Jin's neck and asked in a bored tone, "How is your brother's business?"

Yue stood aside and calmly watched the scene before her with uncaring aquamarine eyes. In a few minutes, she would be free to come and go as she pleased. It was, indeed, a good day for her.

Jin cried out in pain as his arm was twisted higher, and he confessed, "His opium business will fail if the government does a national detox."

"The government has been talking about a national detox since the opium wars started." Enishi informed.

"This time it's different!" the young man cried out. "The government is really serious about it this time!"

"Is that why Huang prevented me from meeting with the government official when his men attacked me?"

Jin shook his head and then cried out again when Enishi jerked his arm upward, so he confessed again, "Yes! They both won't have you gaining the governments' approval so they tried every way they can to prevent that!"

"Now why would they do that? I don't deal in the opium trade."

"Y-You have Yamataro on your side, and he deals in opium." He explained as he winced. "His opium is more pure than ours. It would put Ju-Long out of business. The officials always go where the most money is."

"Uh-huh." The older man said. "You know, I noticed a similarity between Chinese and Japanese; both shouldn't hold an office of power because they equally become corrupt. So, if the government is going to do a national detox, then why worry about who has the purest opium?"

Jin shook his head again, and once again, his arm was twisted up. He tried to swing his free arm for a punch, but Enishi dodged each swing so easily it was laughable. He twisted the other man's arm again, and a cry of pain was heard.

"Alright!" Jin cried out. "To get the officials addicted to it, too!"

"Oh," came the mocking translation. "What better way to make the government forget about national detox than to get them dependent on it as well?"

The young man dared to laugh as he said, "Yea, but you won't live much longer. I'm going to tell Ju-Long everything."

"Will you now?" the white haired man said with an evil smirk on his lips. "Just one more thing, how did Huang know I was going to meet a government official?"

The young man laughed despite his pain, and said, "You only have enemies and traitors around you; no friends at all."

Enishi wrapped his strong, muscular arm around Jin's neck as they struggled into the river. Jin coughed a strangled cough as the white haired man felt around the bank for something. When his hand felt a rock, he promptly grabbed it, and swung it around to the young man's forehead.

Once, twice, and Jin was still and silent as death. Only then did Enishi release his grip on the man's neck, and he felt into the water with a splash, and floated there face down. The older man dropped the bloody rock into the river and washed his hand.

"What was your reason for killing him?" Yue asked calmly as if she had not witnessed a family member being murdered.

"I'm going to destroy Ju-Long and Huang." Enishi said. "Do you have any qualms about it?"

"No." Yue answered with amusement. "I want out of this arranged marriage, and I can easily marry another rich man. Speaking of rich men; do you have any interest? I'm available."

"As much as I would love to keep you," he stated with much obvious sarcasm. "I would have to decline."

The gorgeous woman snorted with a pout and accused, "You really did love Xin."

Enishi never replied as he walked out of the river and up the bank. Jin still floated face down in the river. He looked at his now soaked clothes and decided it was best, and inconspicuous, if he hid and waited for his clothes to dry.

"Xin was married to Huang." He finally said.

"Yet you bedded her twice, more than the other women you touched, myself included."

"Oh, don't worry, Yue," Enishi sarcastically said. "You will always hold a special place in my heart."

"So, will you keep me?" she asked with a darling smile.

His face grew serious and dark as he answered, "I don't trust you enough to keep you around."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O (What happened while Enishi and Jin had their "talk")

As Enishi remained, standing by the river bank, Koishi cursed him in her mind. She begged him not to leave her with these people, and he allowed Huang to spend more time with her!

"Come, Koishi," Huang half commanded. "I'll introduce you to another colleague of mine."

He led her away from Enishi, who stood by the river, and gave her only a subtle glance. She allowed herself a single glare at him as she was led away.

There was another group of Chinese, two might be Japanese, and they stood and conversed, with what seemed like pleasant conversation, for they had closed mouth smiles.

There were two Chinese women among the group. One was fairly plump, and had very light skin with a pink hued blush on her cheeks, very much like a China doll. Her hair was short, to her plump shoulders, and very curly. She had light brown eyes, very long eyelashes, and very plump lips. She was not a heartbreaking beauty, but she had a look to her.

The second woman was petite, just a few inches taller than Koishi, and she was definitely a darling beauty. Her skin was a very desirable light tone, accompanied with small ruby-red lips. Her hair was straight and long, all the way to her thighs, and was very shiny in the sun, but not oily. Her eyes were dark, but doe-like, with long eyelashes.

Koishi paused for a brief moment when she realized that the second woman was, in fact, Japanese. Then, she remembered Feng looked very much Japanese as well. Perhaps it was because the Japanese are descended from The Continent.

The man among the group was a harsh looking man, despite his easy smile. He had long black hair, held back in a braid, and the length reached his lower back. His eyes were small, almost squinty, or rather, like he was constantly giving the stink-eye. He had a long face with a long nose and small lips. If he had been good-looking in his youth, it was long gone in his now late middle age.

The second man also looked Japanese, but he was more reserved even when conversing, he only said a few words at a time. Often, he would look about, but when he seemingly did not find what he was looking for, he would continue on with the conversation. He was average height and built more for swiftness than for combat. His black hair was cut short, his face was round with cat-like shaped eyes.

The four looked up at the duo approaching them, and the plump Chinese woman was already looking Koishi up and down with a sneer. The second woman gave her a once over, but afterwards had a wave of indifference.

"Ah, Huang." The man greeted. "And who is this?"

"This is Koishi." Huang answered with a kind smile. "Koishi, this is my good friend, Ju-Long; and this is my wife, Xi," he motioned towards the plump woman. "And this is Bao, our Mediator." He motioned towards the beautiful woman. "Of course, her name, when she lived in Japan, is Shiyan. Everyone, this is Koishi."

"You are Japanese, too, ne?" Bao asked in Mandarin.

"Hai, I am Japanese." Koishi answered in her native language.

Xi glared menacingly at the two women as they conversed. Huang smiled, for he knew what the two were saying, and Ju-Long stood aside, bored.

"I'm sorry," Bao replied in perfect, fluent Mandarin. "I have long forgotten the Japanese language. What part of Japan are you from?"

Koishi clamped up, but then she figured it would not hurt to say where she is from since it is a very large town, practically a city.

"Tokyo." She answered. "Where are you from?"

"Otsu." Bao answered.

Koishi knew it was a small town in the mountains, and she wondered how a woman like Bao, from a small agricultural town, ended up the lover of two Chinese mafia men like Huang and Ju-Long.

"As entertaining as this is," Ju-Long interrupted before the young woman can gain any answers. "We have things to discuss, Huang."

"Of course," Huang agreed. "If you excuse us in just a moment."

The two women bowed to the men left, save for the reserved man, who had suddenly taken an interest in staring at Koishi. As soon as the men were out of sight, the plump Chinese woman, Xi, grabbed Koishi's upper arm in a vice-like grip. The young woman gave a startled cry of pain, and looked at a calm Bao, whom was not helping.

"Who do you think you are, girl?!" Xi hissed. "One Japanese whore I can handle, but not two! You either leave my husband alone, or I will make your life seriously miserable!"

"I'm not interested in him!" Koishi insisted.

"Then why are you following him around?!"

"He's leading me around!"

"Yet you allow him to drag you along!"

"There's no reason for you to be angry with me!" Koishi wanted to scream, but she kept her voice down. "I'm not interested in him!"

"I doubt it." Xi stated before she gave the young woman's arm one last squeeze before she released her.

Koishi hissed in pain and as soon as Xi released her arm, she could feel the blood rush back through her arm. She rubbed her arm to ease the throbbing where she was grabbed.

"She's just like that." Bao said, and that was when the young woman saw that Xi had left.

"I don't have any interest in Huang." She insisted.

"It doesn't matter; Huang has interest in you." the woman explained. "That makes you a threat to Xi."

"How can I make him stop his interest in me?"

Bao chuckled and shook her head, "He doesn't stop once he's interested."

"I belong to someone else."

"That is not reason enough. Huang has stolen wives from husbands, and women from their lovers, Chinese and Japanese women alike. Although, he has had more of a share of Japanese women than Chinese women. He just has a thing for Japanese women."

Koishi paused before she asked, "How did you end up with him?"

"I come from a poor farming village. My parents sent me to Kyoto to work, and I worked in a sweat shop until I was thirteen. A man approached me and said I could make more money without all the hard work. He directed me to a building, and there, because I had no idea what was happening, I was chosen by Huang among the group of young women.

"He took me to one of the back rooms, and when I realized what was happening, I protested, but he held me down. Huang had an acute interest in me after that, so he took me from that place and brought me here, to Shanghai."

Koishi blinked and asked, "Do you not want to go home?"

"Why would I want to go home? Go home to parents who sent me away to work my hands to the bone; go home to a life that is hard, and the only career option I have left is to become a prostitute? No, I don't want to go home. Here, I have an easy life, I have everything provided to me, I have two men who shower me with gifts, and I have a high standing among society."

"A high standing among society?" Koishi repeated.

"Society here is a bit different that in Japan." Bao explained. "Maybe because they're all rich, but the point is, among this society it is okay for a man and woman to be unwed, and still be lovers. As long as the man involved is rich, people won't look down on the woman."

Koishi thought about Bao's words, when the second mafia boss' words came back to her.

"Huang called you 'our Mediator.' What does that mean?"

"A Mediator is a woman shared among the three bosses." Bao explained and chuckled when she saw the young woman's eyes grow wide. "A Mediator is leverage for all three men. It's a noble profession, really, for we keep the peace between them."

"How does a woman keep the peace between them?"

"It teaches them to trust each other by exchanging the woman between one another."

The young woman shook her head and before she could say anything, Huang walked up to the trio, the silent man almost forgotten with the two women conversing. He stopped and placed an affectionate hand on Bao's rosy cheek and awarded her a smile. Then he turned to the young woman.

"I want us to enjoy another Duwan Festival pastime, Koishi." Huang suggested and he led the young woman away with his Mediator, Bao, in suit. The other man was entirely forgotten, but he still followed behind them.

"W-What pass time?" she asked nervously.

They came to a wooden table under an open white tent, which was more like a canopy. Inside, it had numerous bottles laid out on it. Within the tent, there were several personal tables. She noticed some other people were sitting at those personal tables, and were talking, and then a few would simultaneously drink a pale-gold liquid from a small glass.

"This is Yanjing." Huang explained as Bao sat down on a stool, and Koishi did the same. "Have you ever had_ sake_?"

"No." the young woman answered.

"Yet you know that _sake_ is enjoyed during festivals, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, Yanjing is the same. We drink it during festivals; go on, try some."

Koishi took a cup filled with the liquid, put it to her lips, and tilted it a bit so some of the amber liquid would go into her mouth. She immediately winced, for it was very bitter.

Huang chuckled and exclaimed, "I guess you don't like it?"

"I'm not use to it."

"The let's play a game so the drink would be more enjoyable."

"How do we play?" Koishi asked.

"It's very simple." Bao explained. "We say 'I have never…' and say what you have never done, and if the other players have done it, they take a drink."

"And if they haven't done it?"

"Then they do not take a drink. It's a very simple game."

Koishi nodded in agreement. What harm could the game cause? Huang sat down across from the two women accompanying him, and he poured the light-gold liquid into each of the small glasses. The light-gold liquid was held in what looked like a _sake_ bottle.

"I'll go first." Huang said. "I have never been in serious trouble."

Bao smiled and drank from her small glass, and her master feigned surprise. Koishi had to think about that, and then asked, "Do you mean serious trouble as in jail time, or in trouble with parents?"

Huang and Bao chuckled and the young woman's cheeks grew hot.

"I mean both." The man clarified.

Koishi picked up her glass and took a drink. She almost wanted to spit out as soon as it hit her tongue, for the taste was very bitter. Her eyes watered as she forced herself to swallow the liquid, and it burned her stomach until it grew warm.

"I take it you never had Yanjing?" Huang asked with amusement.

The young woman shook her head and asked, "What is it?"

"It's a very popular drink here, in Shanghai." Bao answered. "We drink it mainly during parties. My turn." She poured herself another liquid, and her master looked expectantly at his Mediator. "I have never lived outside of Shanghai for the past seventeen years."

Koishi took another drink, and the liquid had the same effect on her taste buds and stomach.

"Your turn, my dear." Huang said to the young woman.

"Until now, I have never lived outside of Japan." She said.

Huang took a drink and after he swallowed stated, "I've never lived outside of China."

"Is that official, my love?" Bao asked, and her lover chuckled with a negative shake of his head. "Then why don't you make it official?"

"Certainly, my beauty." He agreed. "I have never been to Tokyo."

Koishi immediately took a drink, which was getting easier to handle with more drinks. Her vision was getting a little blurry, and her body felt warm all over. Both Huang and Bao glanced at each other as the game continued, and the young woman began to sway more and more with each drink.

"Are you alright?" Huang asked, and Koishi then realized she was about to fall out of her seat when the older man caught her, and she also realized how dark it was getting from her laid back position.

Where was Enishi?

She started to grow nervous as she looked around, but did not find him. She tried to concentrate on what her company was saying, but the anxiety made it hard to hear.

"I'm sorry, Huang-san," Koishi politely began, despite her mouth feeling numb. "But it's getting dark, and I must be on my way."

"Oh," Huang said disappointedly. "But you said you would stay to see the final entertainment for the day."

She did say that, however, she had to find Enishi first. Where did he go? Was he alright, or was he lying somewhere hurt, or worse?

Koishi was about to refuse, when two men, one of them she recognized as Gang, the other Ju-Long, came up behind Huang and whispered something to him. The mafia leader's face grew angry, but he nodded. The two men left and he turned his attention back to the women.

"I am very sorry, Koishi, but I have an urgent matter to attend to. Perhaps we can see each other again whenever the fates allow."

Koishi nodded, relieved, and gave the handsome Chinese man a polite bow. Huang left, and the young woman quickly ran as much as she could to the river bank, where she last saw him. There was no Enishi there.

The breeze, which was light at the beginning of the day, started to pick up, and she could smell the moistness in the air. It was going to rain soon.

Koishi sobbed once in frustration and fear, as her search turned up nothing. There was a sudden high pitched whistle, and she saw a small rocket shoot straight up into the air, and explode with a huge bang, and a burst of color.

Suddenly, a hand landed on her shoulder, and she screamed while grabbing the person's wrist, ready to deliver a good blow. She relaxed immediately when she saw the familiar face behind those dark lensed spectacles. Then she tensed up again.

"Where the hell were you, Enishi?!" Koishi screamed at him, although her voice was somewhat drowned out by the high pitched whistling and bursting of the color rockets.

"I had some business to finish up." he answered nonchalantly.

"You promised that you wouldn't leave me with those people!"

"You promised you would distract Huang, and you did your job." Enishi stated calmly, despite his companion's franticness.

"I didn't know if you were coming back for me!" Koishi cried. "I didn't know it you were hurt or killed somewhere!"

Enishi's face went slack in an instant, and he stared at her for a long moment while colors in the sky played on her face. He understood immediately what was happening to her, and that it should not continue.

He briefly glanced at the rockets playing colors in the sky, felt the wind picking up, and he looked back at Koishi. She had a stream of tears rolling down her face, and lips quivered. He should stop this right now, before it becomes a huge problem for him.

Those sapphire eyes with a different color mix in with the irises gazed back at him desperately. Those painted red lips…he preferred her more natural pinkish color. He cupped her face in his hand, and used his thumb to wipe away the red color.

There her natural lips showed to him, and he slowly leaned down, and gently placed his lips on her lips. They were so soft, like kissing a rose petal, and she tasted just as sweet. He could feel a charge, like a jolt, when their lips met. He pulled back and stood upright again, staring at her as a light tint of pink flushed on her cheeks.

He saw the look in Koishi's eyes, and knew she felt it, too.

"The kiss I promised to make special." Enishi informed. "Now let's go."

_To Be Continued…_

**AN**: I posted two chapters in a row so we can get the plot moving along. Also, don't forget the anonymous, silent man; he's important later.


	13. Chapter 13

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 13_

They made it back to the mansion literally just a few seconds before the clouds boomed and released their rain. The trip back had been in complete silence as they both processed what happened between them when they kissed.

When they entered through the doors, Koishi tried to take her geta off, but her body was swaying, and she would have fell over disgracefully if Enishi had not caught her first. He stared at her suspiciously and she chuckled gleefully up at him.

He brought her back up to her feet and she used the wall to support herself as she took her geta off, along with her tabi socks and left them together in a neat pile. She almost tripped on the small ledge that separated the shoe area from the clean, shiny wooden floors, but she caught herself.

She did not, however, catch herself when she tried to walk up the marble staircase, and she felt strong arms wrap around her waist before her face could make contact with the stair. She tried to gain her footing, but she felt numb all over, and she could not quite feel the stairs.

"Are you drunk?" Enishi asked, almost accusingly.

"I have never been drunk before." Koishi said with a slur, for her mouth also felt numb to her.

"You're drunk now." He insisted. "I can tell."

"If you can tell," she asked as he helped her up the stairs. "Then why are you asking?"

"How did you get drunk?"

"I played a drinking game with Huang and a woman called a Mediator…" Koishi ventured off as her numb brain sluggishly tried to remember what the woman's name was. "Ano, Boa?"

"Bao." Enishi corrected with a disapproving shake of his head.

"It was bitter-tasting stuff." She unintelligently pointed out. "Not something I would drink on a regular basis."

When they got to the top of the stairs, Enishi guided Koishi to her room and all but practically threw her on her bed. She quickly grabbed him and pulled onto her. Since he was not expecting it, he lost his footing, and quickly placed his arms out so his bodyweight would not crush the petite girl.

"What are you doing?" Enishi asked as he glared down at the girl under him.

"I'm feeling so alive tonight." Koishi giggled. "Take me; I'm yours."

"Stop this right now—" he tried to command, only to have her rise up and kiss him full on the lips.

Despite the taste of Yanjing in her mouth, she had another sweet taste that was purely her own; similar to mango. She naturally smelled of sakura, or cherry blossoms. A sweet, innocent scent that wrapped around him and it took him by surprise.

Koishi fell back to the bed and asked him, "Do you not want me, Eni-kun?"

Enishi blinked at both the new nickname and her question. She had no idea how desirable she was at the present moment. He then mentally shook his head at himself; sure, she was beautiful, for any fool could see that, but desirable was not how he used to view her.

"I will not take advantage of a drunken girl." He firmly stated and promptly got off her to walk towards the exit.

"I know I'm not a great beauty," Koishi said, and Enishi turned around just as the young woman took off the red kimono. "I know I don't have a wonderful body." His eyes widened a fraction upon seeing her naked body in full view. "But do you at least want me, if a little bit?"

He kept his eyes strictly on her face when he answered, with a strained voice, "No; now get some clothes on."

Even though her face already had a flush to it, Enishi could see Koishi's cheeks redden more as she went to the wardrobe and got a robe out and put it on.

"I had a lovely evening." She stated with sarcasm as she lay down in the bed almost went to sleep immediately.

Enishi stared at the young woman for a moment while she slept, and then turned and left, closing the door behind him.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Koishi groaned as sunlight streamed in through the open window. Everything seemed so much brighter after the pounding storm last night. Speaking of pounding, her head was getting a pounding deep with her brain.

She grabbed the silk sheet and pulled it up and over her head as the stupid birds tweeted their songs out in the trees. As soon as the sheet was over her head, the sheet was suddenly pulled away, and she groaned again from the bright morning sun.

Koishi forced her eyes opened and jumped with a gasp when she saw Enishi sitting in a chair next to the bed; his arms were folded and he wore a stern look on his face. The events of last night came pouring back into her migraine-ridden head, and she furiously blushed, causing her migraine to intensify.

"I'm very sorry about last night!" she quickly apologized. "That was not like me at all."

"I'm well aware of that." He shot back, for he knew how prudish she is. "I just want to know; what were you thinking?"

"Thinking what?"

"Agreeing to a drinking game."

"I've never played a drinking game before!" she insisted. "I've never been drunk before, either. I just thought it was a harmless game with foul-tasting liquid."

"You've ever had_ sake_ before?"

"Never." Koishi insisted. "I came close, though. My uncle had a jug and wanted to give me a sip, but my mother said 'hell no' and chased my uncle around with a bokken."

"It's not so much the fact that you were drunk," Enishi pondered. "It was the fact that you were too lax."

"What's so significant about that?"

"I believe you were slipped opium."

"So," she said with a raised eyebrow. "The reason I was feeling on top of the world and wanted to have sex with you is because I was drunk on opium?"

"You were chasing the dragon." Enishi corrected. "Alcohol makes some people feel wonderful and want to copulate. The opium makes the person numb and more cooperative, so no one can say they were raped."

Koishi's eyes widened despite the pounding in her head and almost screamed, "Huang wanted to—"

"Take advantage of you, yes."

"And where were you?!" she accused.

"I was finishing up some business."

"What kind of business?" Koishi pressed.

Enishi hesitated for a space of time before he finally answered, "I was discussing some things with a brother of another mafia leader."

"I hope you worked things out." Koishi said sarcastically. He put her into a situation that almost got her in big trouble.

"We didn't." He said with a sneer. "He decided the dragon boat races were more important."

Koishi specifically remembered Enishi standing, during the Duanwu festival, watching the boat races. She could not see his face, but he was so still, as if he was going to pounce.

"Are there any other leaders I should know about?"

"Only three; Huang, myself, and a man named Ju-Long. There used to be only two; myself and another man named Woo Heishin."

"That must be hard," Koishi noted. "To have three leaders of one organization."

"Well, we try to get along, but peace doesn't always happen."

Koishi "humph" before she asked, "Do you three even try?"

"No, we don't." Enishi answered bemusedly.

"Oh," she suddenly pointed out. "But there is someone your share between the three of you to keep the peace; Bao."

He huffed with a roll of his eyes and stated, "That's just an excuse."

"…Have you had your share of her?" Koishi asked as she tried not to feel jealous.

He looked at her carefully and answered, "Just once; that's it."

"So, just how many women have you had?" she asked with a slightly upturned chin.

"How was your day with Huang?" Enishi asked, ignoring her question.

"Seriously?" she asked with a glare.

"Yes."

"In detail?"

"Yes." He said intensely.

"Okay, let me get my memories together…" Koishi said, and then she began. "We went down to the river bank; we talked about the weather."

"You talked about the weather?" Enishi asked, doubted.

"Seriously, we did." Koishi insisted. "That was all I could think of to talk about. I'm not good at conversation when I'm not comfortable with the person I'm with!"

Enishi reflected briefly on that. When he first bought her, Koishi was, indeed, very quiet. She only made small talk when something happened, or she needed to know why a person acted a certain way.

"Continue." He said.

"Um," Koishi paused to gather her thoughts. "Oh; he asked me if I liked it here in China, and I said it's somewhat different than Japan, I've never been outside of Shanghai. He said I should see the countryside, and offered to take me there if I wished."

Enishi snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." He said and nodded for her to continue again.

"I don't know what face I was making, but he must've read my actions, because he asked why I was so nervous around him. I replied that he could find a woman more appropriate for him. He asked me why I followed you here to China, which meant that Gang told him my story."

"What did you say?" Enishi pressed.

"Unfortunately, I hesitated, and he caught it. I explained that I have a hard time expressing emotions with words, which is true for us Japanese; you know that."

Enishi nodded.

"He didn't respond to that; instead, he talked about my name in Kanji."

"Your name in Kanji?"

"Yes, my name in Kanji means 'pebble.'"

"I knew that; I just find it bazaar that Huang would take time out of his busy schedule to look up your name in Kanji."

"He also talked about the other Kanji forms my name takes."

"This is weird." Enishi noted, but pressed on. "What else?"

"We went to watch the dragon boat races, we talked about Japan's Sakura festivals, we saw you at the river bank, and he introduced me to his wife, Xi, the Mediator, Bao and Ju-Long. Huang, Bao, and I played a drinking game, and finally, two men, Gang and Ju-Long went to Huang and whispered something to him. He excused himself, and I went to find you."

"You don't know what they said?"

"No."

"Ju-Long." Enishi stated. "So they're collaborating."

"What was it about?" she asked.

"More than likely about me, because Ju-Long's brother had a boating accident and drowned last night."

"Did he really?" Koishi asked with much doubt.

Enishi stared hard at her, but otherwise, made no reply.

"I have more important things to do," he said. "And my agenda doesn't consist of entertaining you."

He quickly got up and left the room while she put the silk sheet back over her head in attempt to drown out the sun and happily singing birds.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

It was more than likely around noon by the time Koishi's horrible migraine ebbed away, but there was still a dull pain left in her head. Unfortunately, the pain doubled when there was pounding on the two front doors and it echoed throughout the mansion.

She groaned, but got out of bed anyway, only to get to the balcony between the two staircases, and saw Enishi calmly answer the door. Her breath hitched when she saw a more than delighted Huang and a very enraged Ju-Long standing outside.

Enishi calmly observed two men, one was an enraged Ju-Long, and the other was a satisfied, airy Huang. Ju-Long's face was a deep red with rage, and he breathed heavily.

"So," Ju-Long began with his accusation. "I wouldn't hear your argument, so you kill my brother?!"

Huang smirked with great satisfaction, having the great Hu caught, and in great trouble, with the ultimate leader of the Chinese mafia.

"I did no such thing." Enishi calmly replied, and both accusers' faces fell.

"What?!" Ju-Long demanded.

"I did not kill your brother." He repeated. "From what I was informed, it was a boating accident."

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Ju-Long screamed. "It was no boating accident! There were no other victims, and no witnesses!"

"Then I have been informed incorrectly." Enishi calmly replied. "Huang was hosting the festival for that day. Why don't you ask him?"

"Don't you dare—!" Huang started, but ceased when the head leader held up his hand.

"I never liked you." Ju-Long informed with a sneer.

"Likewise." Enishi agreed.

"After you off-handedly destroyed the first weapons business with your own, unsuccessful, revenge affairs, I can't image how you got back into this organization."

"Time and patience."

"You're not going to destroy this one; not this time!"

"I no longer have any revenges to fulfill, so you can lay that worry to rest."

"You arrogant bastard!" Ju-Long cussed. "I'm placing blame on you; because there were no witnesses to place you anywhere near the festivities!"

"Ask your wife where I was, Ju-Long." Enishi replied with his typical smirk. "She can tell you where I was."

Ju-Long's face, already deep red in color, now took on a purplish hue. He gritted his teeth, his hands fisted, and Huang took a step back, although with a much satisfied smirk.

"I will ask her later." The head boss replied in a dangerous voice. "Mark my words, you lowlife Jap; I will take everything dear to you, and bring it crashing down; no mercy!"

"Of course, Ju-Long," Enishi replied with very much a polite façade. "My condolences for your brother."

Without further reply, he closed the door in their faces without any farewells. He popped his neck by moving it from side to side, and turned around.

Of course Koishi would be there; he should have expected it.

Enishi frowned and walked up the stairs to the balcony. Why was she looking at him as if in accusation? Why was it unnerving to have her with that face directed at him?

"Yes, I admit, the death of Jin, Ju-Long's brother was by my hand." he informed, thinking that was what was ailing her.

Koishi did not move for a long while, and finally, in a shaky voice, she asked, "Enishi, what were you doing at the festival with Ju-Long's wife?"

Although it was an expected question, with what she probably could hear, Enishi was floored she would inquire him about that, and not about him killing Ju-Long's brother.

"We were just talking at the festival." He answered.

"Nothing else?" Koishi asked in a whisper.

Enishi had to pause for a moment, before he asked in a low voice, "Do you doubt me?"

She turned away from him a tad, her hands shaking, and she swallowed hard. She did not have to confirm it; he could already see it on her face.

"Why do you doubt me?!" Enishi seethed.

"You've done it before to the wife of Huang!" Koishi fired back. "You seem to have a habit of bedding their wives!"

"Damn it, woman!" he seethed and punched the balcony rail. "Do you really think that low of me; like I'm some man whore after their wives?!"

"You left me there with Huang and now I hear you spent the evening with Ju-Long's wife! What else am I supposed to think?!" Koishi yelled back, the tears brimming, and spilled over, running down her cheeks.

"So you automatically come to the wrong conclusion?!"

"I. Don't. Know. What. To. Think!" she screamed back through clenched teeth.

"Then what do you think?!" Enishi asked in low, dangerous voice.

"I'm thinking," Koishi sniffed. "Why would you spend the festival with her, and leave me with Huang, a person I don't feel the least bit comfortable with?!"

"Ask me what you really want to ask." He said, his voice still the same tone as before.

"Did you have sex with her?!" she screamed.

"I don't have to answer to you; you're no body to me, but if you think I did," Enishi replied. "That's your problem."

He turned and left, leaving Koishi to her bitter tears.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

They avoided each other for countless days after their quarrel. Enishi insisted to himself that he did not answer to Koishi, for she was just another person coming into his life, and will soon leave. To make things more irritating, Feng decided it was a good time to show up for another private meeting.

"Where's the little girl?" Feng asked as he looked around at what seemed to be a one-person inhabited mansion.

"I don't know, and I don't care." Enishi answered after they were in his library.

"Okay then; what is this argument between you and Ju-Long?"

"He thinks I killed his brother."

"Oh, Hu; you didn't—"

"I did no such thing." Enishi lied, but it was not for Feng to know about.

"Well, as it stands now, Ju-Long blames you even though his wife was saying you were with her the whole time, and her maid confirms it."

"Then that's the truth." The white-haired man replied, irritably.

"What happened to the girl?"

"What about her?"

"I heard Huang got her into a drinking game."

Enishi snorted and said, "He slipped a bit of opium into her drink, but nothing happened between them, as he was hoping."

"That's good luck for you." Feng stated with amusement.

"There is no good luck with her." Enishi said. "After I gain the government officials' approvals, I'm going to send back to Japan."

Feng was taken by surprise but nodded once and said, "You mean, send her directly home, or back to Japan, wherever the ships dock?"

"That's no concern of mine once she's gone."

"You're harsh, Hu; just plain cruel." But Feng shrugged his shoulders to show indifference. "Oh, Yue wanted me to inform you that for two weeks, Ju-Long will be away for business to Hong Kong. She would love to see you."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The next day, Koishi was surprised when her tutor came to the door for another lesson. This time, the old man wanted her to dress in a Manchurian dress and meet him in the ballroom. She remembered one of the dresses Enishi bought her was a Manchurian dress, so she went into her wardrobe and found it.

She dressed in the clothes and promptly went downstairs to the ballroom. She stopped dead in her pace when she saw Enishi also standing in the ballroom, next to the tutor.

The tutor nodded towards her and stated, as if he did not know the sudden tension in the room, "We will now begin with dance etiquette. Koishi, if you will." He motioned for the young woman to come towards him, and brought her close to Enishi.

She tried to pretend that his presence was not affecting her, but she was sure that even the tutor could hear the anxiety of her pounding heart. The tutor had Enishi face one way, and he placed her beside him, facing the opposite way.

As if he knew what to do, Enishi put up his left arm, the one next to Koishi, and he bent it upwards in a "hello" waving fashion. She looked confused, and the tutor commanded, "Follow his lead."

She put her arm up in the same fashion, only not touching his arm. The old man shook his head and heaved a sigh, took her hand and placed it on Enishi's hand so they were mirroring each other, only facing opposite ways. She inwardly flinched at the skin-to-skin contact, but also noted that his hand was warm.

"This is Yin and Yang dance." The tutor explained. "Now let your master lead."

Enishi promptly started, although Koishi would not call it a dance per se; it was more of a slow walk in a circle. She looked up at him with confusion, but he kept his gaze straight ahead, so she looked away.

"Stop." The tutor commanded, and they immediately stopped. "Now switch."

Enishi turned around, now facing the same as Koishi, and he put his right arm up in the similar fashion as he did his left arm. So, the young woman turned to face opposite of her "dance" partner, and did the same as him. As soon as her hand touched his, he began to lead again.

"Good." The tutor complemented and tapped his cane with a rhythm.

Koishi counted five taps before Enishi stopped and switched again. When she finally got the idea of it, her tutor nodded his approval.

"You have got the basic concept of the dance." The tutor stated as Enishi promptly left the ballroom as if he could not stand to be near the young woman a minute longer.

The old man ignored Enishi's particular behavior and continued on with the lessons.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

As the sky turned orange from the setting sun, the crickets around the property chirped their songs. Enishi got his cloak on, his wattou hidden within the cloth surrounding his shoulders, and he walked downstairs.

He paused at the Fourier when he sensed he was being watched. He looked behind him, and sure enough, at the top of the stairs was the girl. They stared each other down before he finally spoke to break the silence.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Your mood swings make me dizzy."

Enishi had no idea where that statement came from, but he was sure it was meant to be an insult. Unfortunately, he had no retorting comment, for her statement was basically true; he did tend to have mood swings.

"What does that have to do with anything?" he inquired with a frown.

"Since I've been here, I have tried to understand your moods. They range from bad to worse, but they're readable with time." Koishi paused at the base of the marble steps before she began again. "You're going out."

"Yes; and where is none of your concern."

"So you keep telling me." she said with an underline of sarcasm. "Well, I guess I'll just wait here for you like a good little girl." She then sat down on the very last marble step with her back supported against the wall.

"You do that." Enishi retorted with the same tone as he turned and left out the door.

_Stupid, insolent girl!_ He thought to himself as he quickly walked up his property and out the iron gates. His anger fueled his rapid pace as he walked down the road. It took him a while, but he got to his destination; Ju-Long's mansion.

First, Ju-Long had more land property than Enishi, and definitely more than Huang. It stretched for five acres, very impressive for land hungry Shanghai. There were various foliage around the property, but most of it was grass. The mansion itself was three stories high, and by the number of windows that were present, there were many, many rooms.

He walked up to the double doors and did not even have to knock before they opened and Yue stood in the doorway. She gave him a wicked smile and led him upstairs to her room. She closed the door behind them and proceeded to take his cloak off his shoulders in a sensual manner.

Enishi tensed as she led him to the edge of her bed. He stared into her aquamarine irises, and suddenly wished they were the unique color of two. He blinked the thought away and tried to focus on the more than willing, desirable woman before him.

"It's okay," Yue reassured. "My husband is in Hong Kong."

She proceeded to untie her robe and she slowly opened it up and let it slide off her body to reveal her mouthwatering naked body. She was so beautiful and so desirable that many would think Enishi would be crazy to deny her.

In the past, he never did deny her and he took pleasure from her body, as she gained pleasure from his. This time, however, he just could not bring himself to copulate with her. It was as if the mere thought of having to touch her revolted him.

What the hell was wrong with him?

As if to voice his thoughts, Yue asked, "What's wrong, Hu? Have you become impotent in the years of your absence from me?"

He blinked as he stared at her naked body. Even in her early thirties, she still had a body to die for, and her large breasts were still perky. Still, he wished that Yue was smaller, shorter than average, with a well-toned body, a spunky personality, and breasts that were not big, but looked like they could fit just right in his hands.

She hummed a purr-like tone as she swayed up to him, wrapped her arms around him, and pressed her naked body against his clothed body. She snapped away as if he burning her, and she looked down at him with a deep frown. He then realized he was not even remotely aroused.

"What's wrong with you?" she demanded.

He mentally agreed with her; what was wrong with him? It was not as if he was doing it on purpose; he was trying, but there was some connection between his brain and his body that was blocked. It just did not feel right with Yue, and his body was unresponsive.

"I'm not in the mood." Enishi answered, although he did not elaborate, and he picked up his cloak off the floor along with his wattou.

"We had an agreement!" Yue yelled her reminder. "This is such a simple payment!"

She grabbed him, pulled him down, and desperately kissed him. Her lips were soft like silk, very moist, but still small, and she smelled like very expensive perfume.

He did not want lips like silk; he wanted lips that were soft like a rose pedal. He did not want the scent of expensive perfume; he wanted the sweet and innocent smell of cherry blossoms. He did not want a sensual woman; he wanted the prudish, naivety of a young woman.

He wanted…her.

Enishi pulled himself away, both surprised and disgusted with himself for desiring a young woman more than half his age; but as he stared at Yue, he could not help but think of Koishi in the back of his mind. He wanted that young woman with the spunky personality, unrelenting sarcasm, and her scent of cherry blossoms.

"No." he simply stated.

Yue seethed and screamed, "You will regret this, Hu! You will pay for this!"

The white-haired man ignored the screaming woman as he saw himself out of the mansion and started on his long trek home.

By the time he got home, it was already very late, and when he entered his mansion, he saw Koishi, still in the same spot she was when he left, only her eyes were closed and she breathed evenly. Enishi stared at her face, such a peaceful face, with her very long eyelashes.

He took his cloak and shoes off, placed his wattou against the wall, and walked over to where she was sleeping. He carefully looped his arms around her, one behind her shoulders, supporting her head, and the other supported her knees where they bent.

When he picked her up, he was not too surprised that she weighed hardly anything. He easily carried her up the stairs and to her room and carefully set her down on her bed. As he watched her sleep, he could not believe he passed up Yue because she was in his thoughts.

Enishi felt Koishi grab his hand and she looked up at him with sleepy eyes and requested, "Please, stay with me."

He hesitated, but laid down next to her with his arm draped over her after she turned over with her back to him. He buried his nose in the crook of her neck, surrounded by her ebony tresses, and inhaled; cherry blossoms.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

They never spoke of the incident between them, nor did it repeat, even as the weather began to change. At first, the weather in Shanghai was not too cold; it was cool as the leaves on all the trees changed from very green, to orange and yellow.

The hakubaiku trees did not have a single flower on their branches as the leaves began to turn and fall to the ground around the trunks.

Koishi was walking through the garden, observing all the trees. The roses were dying, and soon, they would all be gone, only to be replaced with new ones during the spring. What she really was disappointed to see temporarily disappear, however, was the hakubaiku. She just loved the sweet sent and elegant flowers on all the branches.

She wore one of the kung fu suits that Enishi bought her awhile back, before the Duwan festivals. It was sky-blue in color with yellow flowers embodied into the fabric; feminine. She walked with Chinese shoes on, which surprisingly, she was starting to like more than geta, for they were incredibly comfortable.

"I was wondering when you were going to come out." Koishi said.

Enishi quietly walked up behind her in silent observation. She developed a sense of him, knowing when he was around, even when he was as silent as a ninja.

"Is it cold to you?" he asked as he noted the silk wrap she had around her shoulders.

"Not too much; it's rather mild now."

He nodded once, not insisting she put something warmer on.

"It's going to get colder." Enishi informed her.

"How cold?" Koishi asked.

"Well, because Shanghai is a city close to sea, it get very cold; like a wet cold. That's during the winter months."

"Does it snow?"

"It's too cold to snow."

"I've never heard of such a thing." She stated and wondered if he was only jesting.

"It does sound ridiculous," he agreed. "But it's true. This brings me to the reason for my coming out here. In a few weeks, I will be hosting a winter festival, and a few Chinese government officials will be attending."

"Do I have to distract—?"

"No," Enishi replied rather amused. "You don't have to distract Huang again."

Koishi did not hold back her sigh of relief, nor did she make any attempt to hide it.

"I am trying to gain an alliance with the government officials," He continued. "But Huang and Ju-Long are in the way—"

"Can't you just kill them?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

He dared to roll his eyes in an undignified answer and he answered, "If I did that, then their alliance, the Shanghai police would love to use that as an excuse to have me executed. I'm still a foreigner, too, even if I have lived here longer than in Japan."

Koishi nodded her understanding.

"As I was saying," he continued. "Huang and Ju-Long are in the way, and I want you to charm the government officials."

"So, you want me to entertain them?" she asked.

"No," he smirked. "I need you to be the beautiful wallflower you are."

"Wallflower?" she snorted. "Thank you for the job opportunity, my master."

"You're quite welcome, my humbly obedient servant." He answered with a smirk.

"You're impossible, Enishi." She said with a playful smile on her lips.

"Just brush up on your Mandarin; relax." He said, emphasizing the last word.

"I'll do my best." Koishi promised without any confidence.

_To Be Continued…_


	14. Chapter 14

**AN**: This chapter contains a lemon. It's really toned down for fanfiction, but I wanted to give a forewarning, and I will inform you readers of when it starts, so you can skip it to the end.

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 14_

Enishi employed the maids for the next week to clean every crevice of his mansion in preparation for the winter festival he would be hosting the following week.

Koishi was impressed with the mansion after the final day of the cleaning week. She always thought the place was clean, but after the week was over, the floors were so shiny that she thought she might slip the moment she stepped foot on the floors. She was very sure that she would not find a speck of dirt even in the most remote crevice.

The week had passed, and Enishi and Koishi were getting ready for the winter festival. She wore the beautiful black Manchurian dress with red hems and embroidered with Chinese blue roses. She pinned her half her hair up, left the rest down, and painted her lips the traditional red with the red wax.

Enishi was waiting for Koishi downstairs; his clothes were a white kung fu suit with blue down the middle of his shirt, down the sides of his sleeves, on the hems, the cuffs, and down the sides of his pants. Koishi paused to look him over; her mysterious colored eyes roamed him from top to bottom as she hid her hands behind her, and her hands held the box with the earring she bought him. She noted that he wore Western-styled shoes that were buffed and shiny, his usual glasses accompanied with his yin-yang earring and also he held an object in his hands.

Enishi paused for a brief moment before he held the object out for Koishi. She blinked up at him and inspected it. It was a hair décor, definitely a Japanese hair pin; it was two pronged, made from buff, shiny wood, with two blood-red beads on the end, accompanied with two green colored leaves, and four gold tassels dangling from them.

Koishi's mouth fell open a bit and she once again blinked up at Enishi.

"It's a gift," he explained. "I'm giving it to you as long as you swear you will never let anything bad happen to it."

Koishi nodded and replied, "I swear I'll always protect it."

Satisfied, he placed the wooden hair décor in the pinned up portion of her hair. She turned back around with a bright smile and declared, "My turn!"

She held out the box for him, cradled in her hands. Enishi allowed himself to frown with a perplex expression. He took the box from her hand, opened it, and his face went slack. He was at a loss for words, for no one, save for his sister, ever thought of giving gifts to him; but there was the gift for him in the box.

He tenderly took it out and held it in his palm as he stared at the tiger with topaz-blue gems for eyes. He looked back at Koishi, who was still smiling stupidly, but still…so beautifully. Enishi cleared his throat and nodded once to accept her gift. He immediately took off his yin-yang earring and replaced it with the tiger one, and they waited for their guest to arrive.

It was late night when the guests started to arrive. Just as Koishi saw at Huang's hosted party, the double doors were left wide open for the invitees to come and go as they pleased without having to knock on the doors every time.

Even though it was dark, the young woman could tell that there were clouds in the sky; thick and dark. The wind that passed through promised a rainfall to soon come, perhaps within a few hours.

The guests filed in one by one, Feng also came, and Koishi greeted each one with a polite bow. Her blood chilled when she saw Huang walk up the graveled path with his wife a few inches behind him. She calmed herself, however, and greeted them both with a bow.

"Koishi, dear," Huang greeted with a smile as his wife gave a deadly glare to her. "You look amazing with each international clothes you put on. I suppose next would be Vietnamese?"

"No, Huang-san." She replied. "I honestly have taken to these clothes. They're quite comfortable."

"They do make for easier movement." Huang agreed.

"Yes, they do. Please enjoy the festivities."

He nodded once and proceeded to the grand ballroom. Koishi heaved a quiet sigh of relief upon the second mafia boss' absence, and then froze once again when she saw Ju-Long walking up the graveled path with two women in tow.

One woman she recognized as Bao, and the other she did not know. She was very beautiful with aquamarine irises and very long, straight, ebony-black hair. She bowed as they passed by, and the beautiful woman gave her a lingering stare.

After an hour of greeting guests, Koishi's back was starting to hurt. It was then that Enishi chose to make his appearance at her side. His demeanor was very different than his usual, calm, lax, confident self. It was a bit more anxious. His movements, typically easily made, were now stiff, with just a fraction of slowness.

"You're not comfortable hosting these festivals, are you?" Koishi whispered her question in their native language.

"I'm fine." Enishi insisted.

"Oh, come on, Enishi. I've developed an ability to read you better than that."

He looked at her through the corner of his eyes and finally admitted, in a very low voice, "No, I don't like these festivals. All these people are fake."

"I know." She agreed with the same manner as him. "I figured that when they were staring at you when we went to the event Huang hosted, and yet, here they are in your domain, enjoying your company and hosted event."

"Regardless, I need to mainly entertain a few government officials."

"Where are they?"

Enishi led Koishi to the doorway of the grand ballroom and said, "There." And he motioned with his head before describing, "The first one, wearing the black changshan with red dragons embroidered on it."

She saw him; he was a man of average stature, the same height as Huang, whom he stood and talked to. His eyes were beady, his nose was crooked, and he had a thin, long moustache accompanied with a thin, long beard.

"The second?" she inquired.

"There; he's wearing a blue changshan with yellow 'good luck' symbols."

Koishi noticed the man was just a few inches taller than average, a fairly good-looking man with almond-shaped dark brown eyes. He was speaking with Ju-Long; and then she realized that both mafia bosses were trying to gain favor from the two government officials during Enishi's hosted event no less!

"Two against one is not fair." She said.

"You quite observant." Enishi complemented. "So you know what's going on."

"Yes," she answered as she looked up at him. "I noticed something we have in common; we're both socially awkward."

He gazed down at her, their eyes locked, but he did not deny her observation, and he did not confirm it.

"And you owe me for this." She said before she held his hand and gave it a light squeeze.

Without further explanation, Koishi walked into the grand ballroom, her heart pounded with anxiety from the crowd of upper echelon, all together with murmurs of conversation. She had a destination to get to, and it gave her determination.

The music from the musicians played as she passed through the random groups with ease. She noticed a pair of aquamarine eyes watching her, but she ignored the beautiful woman as she made her way towards the one man she did not want anything to do with, but she forced herself.

Huang noticed her approach before his companion did, and he allowed a smile to come to his lips, to let the young woman know it was permissible for her to approach.

With a deep bow, Koishi stated, "I'm very sorry for interrupting—"

"You're not interrupting." Huang stated.

The young woman shyly nodded and introduced herself to the official, in perfect Mandarin, "Good evening, sir. My name is Koishi."

The crooked nosed government official politely bowed with his two hands together and said, "Good evening, young lady. My name is Chong."

"I'm pleased to meet you, sir." Koishi said after she returned the bow. "Are you enjoying the festivities?"

"Yes, I must say it's quite pleasant," Chong replied with a slight smile before he added, "For now."

"Well, it's only just begun." The young woman politely pointed out with a kind smile.

Huang watched the exchanges with a smile that was not pleasant, but bordering on annoyance as a single eyebrow raised higher and higher.

Koishi noticed, lost her nerve, and stated, "I'm afraid I have taken up too much of your time, sir—"

"Actually, you may stay in our company." Chong said before he turned to the man at his right and said, "If that's alright with you."

Huang's face immediately became pleasant as he stated with the same type of voice, "It's quite alright with me. I find Koishi to be very entertaining."

"Oh, what sort of entertainment do you provide?" the official inquired.

Koishi blinked, her anxiety rose, but then she remembered this was for Enishi, so she answered, "I'm not sure what sort of entertainment you seek, but I have a few skills."

"Such as?" the official prompted.

"Do you enjoy swordsmanship?"

Huang dipped his head down and the young woman could see him laughing to himself. She thought it was strange that he still found her reaction to the sword fight between Enishi and the anonymous Chinese man to be amusing.

"I have respect for it, as our heritage." Chong answered.

"I know a little bit of a style of swordsmanship." Koishi said, even though she knew that a woman knowing a swordsmanship was extremely uncommon, and not as acceptable.

Chinese men liked their women dainty and under their thumbs.

"Well, good." The official chuckle amusingly. "A girl who can play fight. You had me fooled for a lady there for a moment."

Huang also chuckled with amusement as he said, "Hu must not have a tight rein on her."

Koishi smiled despite her twitching eyebrow and responded, "See? Huang-san said I was entertaining."

The second mafia boss stilled his laughter with a sharp look at the young woman as Chong straightened up and asked, "So you were only joking?"

"Of course!" she said with a smile even though inside her stomach turned with hatred at herself for bringing herself down. "Whoever heard of woman who practiced swordsmanship?"

Chong laughed and clapped a tight-lipped Huang on the back once and he complemented, "This girl is entertaining! I'm so glad to see a woman with a sense of humor!"

Huang continued to smile and when the official contained his laughter, he asked, "So, Koishi, what other entertaining skills do you possess?"

The young woman looked over at the musicians and said, "I can play a musical instrument."

She turned her gaze back to the second mafia leader and their eyes held. The man did not know whether to believe her or not, but the young woman did not falter.

"That's impressive." He allowed himself to complement before he said, "Only prestige, upper class women learn to play instruments. Please, excuse me."

Huang made his exit and walked towards the group surrounding the second government official. Koishi turned to Chong, who asked, "What musical instrument do you play?'

"The erhu."

Chong's eyes widened with surprise and said, "The erhu is a Chinese stringed instrument. Are you not Japanese?"

"I am, sir, but we Japanese are not completely isolated and ignorant of China."

As the two conversed, the servants, who weaved in and out of the crowds with food on their trays continued. As what happened before when she attended the first event, Zhan walked up beside her. This time, the young woman was prepared for it, and she promptly hit the underside of the tray and it made contact with Zhan's face.

Unlike the other time, goopy food was all over the servant girl's face, hair, and now clothes. Koishi let go of the tray and it clattered to the floor. Everyone turned and looked at the now scandalous scene as the young woman brought her delicate fingers up to her lips with a feigned surprised look.

"Oh!" Koishi said. "I'm so clumsy!"

Zhen glared with a death-promising glare towards the Japanese girl as everyone laughed. Her face turned red as she promptly left the ballroom and the other servants cleaned the mess up. Everyone else went back to conversing as if nothing interrupted the party, and Koishi felt half sickened that she embarrass the girl in front of everyone, even though the Chinese girl had done the same to her. The other half felt an immense satisfaction, and that was what made her sickened at herself.

"Excuse me," a sing-song voice interrupted. "You remember me, right, Mr. Chong?"

Koishi looked at the beautiful woman who had just come into the conversation, and the official said, "Oh, yes! You're Yue; Ju-Long's wife!"

Ju-Long's wife… Koishi realized as she tried not to feel horribly intimidated and inferior to such an unbelievably gorgeous woman. She tried to stop the emotion scratching in her stomach, but if jealousy had a name, that would be it.

The painful thing about it was she could not keep her imagination away as it played images in her mind of this breath-taking woman and Enishi doing the unimaginable. She swallowed hard as she decided it must be the fates punishing her for embarrassing Zhan.

"Koishi was just telling me that she can play the erhu." Cong informed.

"Really?" The woman, Yue, turned to Koishi with a confident, tilted chin and requested, "Would you please excuse us for a moment?"

The young woman nodded once and left without a bow. She must not lose her determination! So she looked for the second government official, who was also conversing with other men, specifically Huang and Ju-Long.

Huang was the first to notice the young woman approaching and he raised an eyebrow at her, and before introductions started, he said, "Are you following me around, my dear?"

Unfortunately, Xi was also there, and she glared daggers at the young woman, who replied, unabashed, "Maybe I enjoy your company, Huang-san."

She knew it was the wrong thing to say, but she knew faux flirting among the upper echelon was almost a tradition. Even more unfortunate was Huang's smile after she said it, and thus, she was welcomed into the conversation circle.

"So, as I was saying," Huang continued. "My hired help was not suitable for me, but gave me all the information I needed."

"All of it?" Ju-Long asked.

"Well, of course he was tight-lipped, my friend." The second mafia leader continued. "But I could discern enough."

"Did you send him back home?"

Huang smiled and answered, "I'm sure he went back with his tail between his legs, if he can get back to Kyoto. Koishi-chan." The young woman looked at the handsome Chinese man and he continued, "Have you ever been to Kyoto?"

Where did that question come from? The young woman shook her head and answered, "No, I've never been there. My family doesn't have any reasons to go to Kyoto."

"Not even for the Gion festival?" Huang inquired.

"No."

"What a shame." He said, but without any pity. "I'm sorry, where are my manners?" he turned to the second government official and said, "Ru, this is Koishi; Koishi, this is Ru."

They both bowed politely to each other after introductions were made, and before more could be said, a voice, with an announcement-type tone, said, "May I have everyone's attention, please?"

Everyone turned to the announcer and Koishi saw it was Yue who was calling everyone's attention. From the back of the room, Enishi frowned as he wondered what she was up to.

Once everyone had their attention on her, Yue announced, "I'm surprised to hear that we have a person attending this festival with a hidden talent!"

Once again, Enishi frowned, only deeper.

"An attendee can play our traditional erhu," Yue continued and Koishi's heart began to pound. It was not possible she was talking about her, right? "And what's most surprising, this erhu player is a woman." She still was not talking about her, right? "And she's Japanese!"

Oh gods above; Yue was definitely talking about her!

Aquamarine eyes landed on the young woman's form and she said, "We have an erhu here for you. Why don't you play for us, Koishi?"

Everyone who knew her name turned to look at her as everyone else looked about, but soon saw where the others were looking at. Finally, all eyes were on a very stiff Koishi and her heart pounded wildly in her chest.

Yes, the fates were definitely using her in a cruel game.

"Don't you want to play it for us?" Yue asked before she gained a cruel smile and said, "You can't even play the erhu can you? My apologies; I was misled by this girl building herself up."

Koishi heard chortling as the beautiful woman turned her nose up at her. The young woman licked her lips, swallowed hard, and slowly walked towards Yue; towards the musicians.

Yue still held a wave of superiority as the young woman approached and asked, "May I play the erhu?"

One of the musicians got an erhu out of its case and handed both the two stringed instrument and the stringed bow to Koishi. One of the other musicians motioned to his seat, which the young woman promptly sat down on.

Koishi carefully plucked the two strings with her fingers, only to get a chortle from Yue as she informed, "The erhu isn't meant to be played with fingers."

The young woman, who had just about enough of the older woman, shot her a glare and said, "Of course; I was making sure it was adjusted. Every good musician knows to do that before playing the instrument."

"Are you good?" the older woman mocked.

"Music is a matter of opinion." Koishi said as she tested the instrument to the stringed bow, causing a tasteless pitch to come from the usually beautiful sounding instrument.

Yue mockingly put her fingers to her ears and said, "Well, my opinion is you can't play that instrument."

'"I was testing it first."

"Of course." She aspirated with a roll of her eyes.

Koishi decided to ignore the woman as she said to the rest of the musicians, "Jasmine Flower."

The young woman inhaled deeply and closed her eyes as she tried not to think about the pressure that was upon her. To play the erhu was a rather difficult task and many Chinese pride themselves in being able to play it. For a foreigner to play it, and play it well, would be very impressing for the crowd gathered.

Enishi watched the display and wondered what Koishi was doing, for she never once mentioned she could play the erhu. Then again, he never asked, for she said she came from a dojo, and a dojo owner, this day and age, could not afford lessons to play the erhu, and to play an instrument foreign to Japan would be an even pricier lesson.

Koishi, with her eyes still closed, started out slowly, as the song required from the erhu solo. She started to breathe more evenly as she let the melody take her away. She paused, as the song once again required, and then she picked back up with a faster pace.

Her hand, which held the stringed bow, worked in perfect harmony with her delicate fingers plucking the two stringed erhu. She paused and the Chinese bamboo flute solo picked up before she started again, and they played in unison. Soon, all the musicians were playing in harmony and Koishi allowed the music to take her away as she could actually imagine herself surrounded with jasmine flowers, just like the song's title.

The minutes ticked by as the song came to an end, all the instruments involved ending the song with a single long, unison note as Koishi had the vigorously shake her fingers on the two strings to make the note last longer.

The utter silence caused the young woman to open her eyes and view her critics. Judging by their pleasantly surprised faces, they were all genuinely impressed that a Japanese girl could play their instrument. Yue was the only one frowning as she mumbled unintelligently to herself; her scheme to embarrass Koishi was completely ruined by the fact that the young woman could play the erhu.

The silence was suddenly interrupted by a single person clapping, who was Huang, and after he started clapping, the rest followed suit. Koishi bowed to the clapping crowd and returned the erhu instrument to the musician with another bow.

Even though the young woman impressed the crowd, the upper echelon went along with the festivities without further acknowledgement of her existence, nor did they pay her compliments. She walked around awkwardly as she tried to get back to the two officials.

"I didn't know you could play the erhu."

Koishi turned around to see Enishi with his eyebrow raised, indicating that he wanted an explanation. Of course he would; she said she grew up without an abundance.

"My teacher was playing the erhu after hours one day, and I happened to hear him play." She explained. "So I asked him if he could teach me at least one song. Since he knew my father, he tested my potential and he agreed after he was satisfied that I could learn. The song, 'Jasmine Flower' is the only song I know to play with the erhu."

Enishi observed her with amusement and informed, "It's a good thing these people didn't ask for you to play more. That would've been embarrassing."

Koishi blinked at that and her eyes widened when she realized he spoke the truth. It was a good lesson for her; she should keep her mouth shut, even if it was to impress the two government officials in Enishi's favor.

She looked at the crowd of people before she looked back at her companion, only to see he was gone, just like a stalking tiger. She noticed he allowed the guests to come and go as they pleased during the festivities, but had a difficult time interacting with them if it was not on a business level. That confirmed Koishi's suspicions; he was socially awkward, just like her.

After she had just played the erhu for these people, she stood aside in the back of the ballroom, heart pounding with hands shaking. It went against her very nature to be the center of a crowd's attention, and to have the crowd be those people from the upper echelon just made the whole experience that much more terrifying.

She needed a break.

She quickly walked towards the back of the ballroom and out the glass doors towards the back of the property. She walked out into the cold of the winter weather, and looked up at the white Chinese paper lanterns with a thoughtful face.

A movement to her left made her jump and she looked at the figure, and immediately recognized her as Zhan. She still had the food all over her and she sat on the ground, pressed against a tree, and she glared up at the young woman. Her dark brown eyes, while filled with hate towards her, were red and puffy; she had been crying.

There was a stab-like feeling which hit Koishi in the gut to see that she was the cause of the poor girl's misery. They stared at each other for a while, the tension in the air thick, before Koishi sighed, turned her back to the tree and promptly sat down on the ground.

"I know you can't understand me," she began in Mandarin. "But I'm really sorry for what happened. I'm so sorry, Zhan. It's…it's not like me to do that; to embarrass others in front of a crowd like that. I'm usually the one taking up for the ones being picked on, and for me to become the people I detest the most…it just sickens me."

Koishi drew her legs up to her chest and rested her head on the legs. She sniffled as the tears rolled out of her eyes and was absorbed by her Manchurian dress.

"Being around these people, even for just a short amount of time," She continued, her voice muffled by her legs. "It changes you, even if you don't know it yourself. My father always said I have a good heart…how disappointed he would be if he would've seen the way I treated you."

"I understand what you said."

Koishi's head snapped up and looked at Zhan, who looked back with a cool gaze and she continued, "I still don't forgive you; you're pathetic. And I will pray to the fates to take away the person most important to you, in revenge for me."

She then left Koishi on the cold ground shaking, not from the cold, but from fear. The person most important to her? The image of Enishi came to her mind, and the thought of losing him was…unbearable.

When she was finally calm enough, she stood up and brushed down her Manchurian dress.

She tsk-ed when she saw the dirt just spread over the fabric. She had no choice but to go inside to change, but she did not want to go through the grand ballroom where all those rich people were. They would embarrass her thoroughly.

Instead, Koishi decided to go around the mansion and through the front doors. She stopped and hid behind the mansion wall when she saw a few people exit through the front. She quickly made her way through the doors, turned right and went down the hallway to the Japanese bathhouse.

She had enough of the festival for one night.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

After Koishi's performance, Enishi took the opportunity to speak with the first government official. He calmly walked up to the first official as his right hand man, Feng, spoke with the second official.

"Hu," the official. Ru, greeted. "This is a wonderful winter festival."

"Thank you." Enishi said, although he did not mean it, just like the official was more than likely untruthful with his complement. He was probably telling other people he was bored out of his mind with this winter festival. "How is your health?"

"Could be worse." The man chuckled as he slapped his companion on the back.

Enishi stiffened and then relaxed, but not as relaxed as he normally was. He then proceeded to inform, "I have Yamataro, from Yokohama, ready for distribution at your word."

The Chinese man smiled a kind smile, but tinted with awkwardness, and the white-haired man knew a letdown was about to come.

"Hu," he started and then cleared his throat. "I already agreed with Huang that I would help to fund his projects. You can try with my collogue, though."

"Thank you for your time." Enishi said, although he did not really mean it; he just wanted to strangle the bastard who attended this event, and yet, he already swore loyalty to Huang beforehand.

As he was walking to the second government official, Feng stopped him and said, "He will seriously think about your proposal, as long as he doesn't see your face."

"Oh, what did I do wrong this time?"

"Nothing," Feng insisted, but continued with, "Apparently, Yue is telling everyone that you have changed your tastes for a much…younger sort."

"I didn't feel like fucking her, so now the hussy is telling everyone that I'm into young girls?" Enishi repeated with a more harsh translation.

"Basically." The right-hand man informed. "You know with…Koishi and all…" he cleared his throat before he informed, "She's telling everyone you're intimate with the girl and she's barely twelve."

"I know Koishi has the physic of a ten year old." Enishi stated, although he knew that was not true, because he knew what was under all that clothing. "But she's sixteen. Did you tell him that?"

"I didn't know her true age, but I will inform him of that. It's just a matter of them believing you or not. And you know how the official, Chong, feels about those types of men who like young girls." Feng reminded.

The white-haired man glared at Yue as she talked to the government official using her best innocent act. A pair of aquamarine orbs glanced at him with a wave of satisfaction.

All Enishi could see was red as he made his way to the government official, whom was also talking to Yue and her husband, Ju-Long. His rage was a quiet calmness, and unlike the days of his youth, he could think clearly and more efficiently.

As he came up, he gave Yue a hard slap on her rear, followed by a very hard squeeze of her butt cheek, causing her to cry out. The official's face became shocked, as well as Ju-Long's face. All other conversation ceased as they turned to the commotion.

"She's a riot, isn't she?" Enishi stated with a wicked, hard smile. "She just makes up the best jokes."

"What are you talking about?" the official asked as the white-haired man released Yue's sore rump.

"Oh, you know, the joke she made about me recently acquiring a taste for younger girls."

"I don't understand the joke." The Chinese man replied without the slightest sense of humor.

"Of course not." Enishi agreed. "I don't even see the joke in it, because I am still very much a man who enjoys the company of women, older ones at that. I guess she was just a little sore when she invited me to her room, in Ju-Long's mansion, when he was away to Hong Kong, and wanted me to bed her."

There was instantly murmuring among the crowd, for a woman who commits adultery against her husband was utterly shameful. It was a serious accusation that Enishi was throwing at Yue.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Yue said with freighted disgust. "I've never been with another man other than my husband."

Enishi laughed and said, "She has a birthmark on her right ass cheek. Isn't that right, Ju-Long?"

The first mafia boss' face grew red as he stared deadly at his wife, and the white-haired man continued, "I know this, because some of the time I did bed her, I saw it when I did her like a dog does a bitch."

A collection of gasps could be heard after the statement, and Yue's face grew bright red with anger and humiliation. Murmurs started amongst the crowds as they stared at the scandal of the century before them. Well, maybe he was a bit rash, just like his twenty year old self. Obviously, the festival was over since the host decided to embarrass his guest in front of other people, and they all filed out until the whole mansion was left empty, save for Feng.

"I don't think Ju-Long is going to let this go." He noted.

"I'm ready for it." Enishi challenged.

It was at that time Koishi made her appearance from the bathhouse, and she looked at the messy, empty ballroom with confusion, for the festival was supposed to be continuing until very late at night.

"What did I miss?" she asked as she dried her long black hair with a towel, dressed only in a bathrobe. She heard the quietness in the mansion and decided to take a peek, only to see there was no more festival going on.

"The greatest grand finale Shanghai had ever seen." Feng replied with laughter in his throat as he also made his way out, and courteously closed the front double front doors behind him.

"What's he talking about?" she asked.

"Nothing of importance." Enishi answered.

"All the decorations and food for only a few hours?"

"I'm tired anyway."

"We didn't even get to dance."

He chortled with a shake of his head, and noted, "You didn't seem to be enjoying yourself anyway. What; where you going to come back to the festival dressed in a bathrobe?"

Koishi gave a hard sigh, bowed politely, and inquired, "Please, sir; it would give me great honor if you would dance a yin and yang dance with me."

Enishi shook his head and rolled his eyes but complied anyway. What was a few more minutes of his wasted life anyway? She gratefully took his hand, and they slowly walked in a circle, facing opposite of each other.

They stared at each other as they slowly walked the circle, and a sense of familiarity came to him as he watched her face, but simultaneously, she was unfamiliar to him. It was a mixture of everything about her; the spunky, sarcastic attitude with the smell of cherry blossoms.

She smelled just like springtime in Edo, during the Sakura festivals.

He did not realize they had stopped walking in a circle until he felt her released her hand from his, she stood in front of him, and placed two gentle hands to both sides of his face. As she moved her hands across his face, her fingers gripped his tinted spectacles, and she removed them off his face.

"Come back to me, Enishi." Koishi whispered.

She gently gripped the collar of his white kung fu suit and in a similar manner, pulled him down and sealed her lips on his lips. They had kissed twice before; once, to keep her quiet, second to fulfill a promise, but the third one was different; she willingly initiated it.

When they pulled back, her eyes were brighter than before with an intense shimmer to them. He knew what she wanted and, gods above, he wanted her, too; but he could not defile her with nothing but an empty promise. He was alone in his life and it should stay that way.

Enishi turned and left her in the grand ballroom and immediately went upstairs to his room and lit the oil lamp beside the bed.

This was absolutely unacceptable to him. He vowed to put Koishi on a ship back to Japan the following week. He did not care that it would more than likely get her and her associates killed. That was not his problem; but she was his problem now.

Even though he did not hear the door open, he knew it opened, and heard her walk across the room and stand behind him. He closed his eyes, gathered his renown, and turned to face her.

"What is it?" Enishi asked in a guarded voice. "Do you need another lamp for your room?"

Koishi stared up at him for a moment, her face beet-red, but eyes determined. Enishi's mind screamed at him to send her away, to have nothing to do with her.

She reached behind her and untied her yukata belt, opened her robe, and allowed it to fall to the floor. He blinked once, and his mind screamed at him to stop as his eyes roamed over her naked body. She was definitely developed; her hips were filled out and defined, but not overly done. Her breasts were just the right size and perky…and they reminded him of someone else; a young woman on a lone island, who was once the only one able to be close to him, but she was in love with someone else.

_Don't do it! Don't do it!_

Koishi worried her bottom lip between her teeth, her resolve dissipating, worried about his rejection…again. She practically thought her pounding heart would burst out of her chest. Enishi cupped her face in both his hands; he leaned down, and kissed her full on the lips.

Their fates clashed and swept them away.

O~O~O~O~**Lemon Starts Here**~O~O~O~O

Enishi quickly took his kung fu shirt off as he passionately kissed Koishi. He gently kissed her chin, and down to her neck as he stripped the rest of his clothes off. His mind was silenced now, for there was no stopping them.

Koishi roamed her hands over his broad shoulders with shaky, unsure hands. Enishi grabbed her waist, picked her up, and carefully set her down on his bed. He laid down beside her, gently caressing her shoulder with one hand, and embracing her with his other arm.

Everywhere Enishi caressed and touched seemed to set Koishi ablaze with a fiery need that she did not know how to satisfy. It was like magic; his kisses, his hands exploring her body, the excitement and nervousness in her stomach.

She was so soft and perfect. Her petite body was well-toned and her skin felt like soft silk beneath his fingertips as he touched her everywhere. Her breasts were not large, but not small. Just as he suspected, they fit perfectly in the palm of his hands and had bounce to them; they firm, but soft.

Koishi trembled when she felt Enishi's passion against her thigh, and the "butterflies" in her stomach became more active. She traced a single digit on the diagonal scar across her lover's chest, and she kissed it as if trying to heal it.

She jumped when she felt his hand brush against her womanhood, trying to gain access. She stiffened as visions of an old woman's wrinkled fingers shoved their way up into her came back to her mind's eye. He noticed the change in her mood and started to pull his hand back, but she quickly grabbed his hand and placed it back.

She shook her head and practically commanded, "Don't stop, Enishi."

Koishi trembled as she moved her leg, placing it in a bent, upright position. She jumped again when Enishi's fingers opened her folds and explored her in ways she never had, but she kept the bad memories away with determination.

Was it possible, to love someone so much, even if she knew almost nothing about him? Koishi pondered that question to herself as she gently caressed his cheek with her petite hand as Enishi watched her with softened topaz-blue orbs.

He paused with much restraint and he sincerely asked, "Do you want to continue?" It was possible she did not think correctly when she first initiated this. "We can stop if you want." Although he would have to gather every ounce of self-restraint to stop.

She shook her head with, "I already was told it will hurt the first time; go ahead."

Of course it would hurt. She was such a petite girl, even for Japanese standards; and he was taller and more defined than average Japanese men. Still, she supposed it could be worse than the burning pain she felt as her muscles stretched to accommodate him. It was not a horrible pain, for she suffered more pain and bruises when she practiced kenjitsu. It was just a short and sharp, unexpected pain, but it was nothing she could not handle.

Enishi remained perfectly still, even though he was aching to start thrusting. She wrapped her arms around his body, brought him down to her, and she kissed him, full on the lips, holding nothing back.

Was it possible to care about someone so much, even if he knew nothing about her? Was it even possible that he could love her, more than anyone who was in his life, his sister included?

It had been years since he had been inside a woman, but he never expected her to give him that amount of pleasure. She felt so much better than the other women he bedded, if that was even possible, and he briefly wondered why that is until he was swept away again with the pleasurable current.

Koishi arched her back, feeling the pleasure all over her body, and she gasped at each thrust her lover made. She clasped his well-toned arms desperately as the sensations flowed through her like waves on a beach, causing her to moan out loud.

"Eh…ni..shi…" she choked out.

"Ride it out, Koishi." He breathed. "Ride it out."

He stared at her eyes with amazement; they were clouded over with pleasure, but they seemed to have bled the unknown color out, and they were the perfect sapphire-blue color he liked. She was so beautiful the way she responded to his touches, his caresses, and his thrusts; she took everything he had to give and held nothing back.

O~O~O~**Lemon Ends Here**~O~O~O~O

They breathed rapidly, their bodies covered with perspiration as they slowly came down from their high. Koishi thought it odd that she just now noticed the storm was horrendous outside.

She embraced her lover, causing him to lay over her, and she kissed him passionately again, only much more tired. He returned the kiss with much the same reaction.

Now it was Enishi's time to be awkward, for after the initial act, he would get up, put his clothes on, and leave. He could do no such thing with Koishi. His thoughts muddled, he rolled over to lay on his side, and embraced Koishi with one arm.

They slept in that position through the entire night, even with the storm above them.

_To Be Continued…_

**AN**: The song I mentioned is a real song called "Jasmine Flower," and you can find it on YouTube. Just search, "Traditional Chinese music Jasmine Flower" and look for the video uploaded by P Chau; the thumbnail is a really pretty Chinese woman in a pink dress, holding her erhu.

It's a really beautiful song; please listen to it!


	15. Chapter 15

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 15_

When Enishi awoke, he was always immediately ready to start the day; his mind fully charged and functional, his body also on the ready. The night after the winter festival, however, he slowly awoke; his mind muddled, and his body completely relaxed, almost lazy. He blinked a few times, the rain outside still pouring down in sheets. He supported himself on his elbow, while his other arm was draped over a warm body.

Enishi looked down and saw Koishi was still resting peacefully; her long hair splayed around her like an ebony halo, her long, thick lashes almost touching her cheeks, and the steady, easy rhythm of her breathing.

The events of last night came back to his mind, and he wondered to himself why he did not have the restraint he thought he had. Enishi sighed and shook his head.

What does he do now?

In his past, he bedded a few women, and it was only once per woman. Except Huang's young wife; that was twice…and Battousai's woman, which was also twice. He had never attached himself to anyone for more than physical satisfaction; except for, once again, Battousai's woman but that was something he did not want to dwell on. Does he tell Koishi that it's okay they continue a physical relationship, with no attachment?

That would hurt her

In his resolve, the final conclusion he came to was just continuing their relationship, for a lack of better words. Koishi would eventually realize that she was young and full of other opportunities, and whatever feelings she harbored for him were all an illusion.

Enishi was also taken back when his mind processed that last thought. He had always been able to read people; it was one of the many gifts that came with swordsmanship. He did not, however, read Koishi's actions in regards to him. She never expressed any feelings for him, as far as actions were concerned.

Perhaps he mistook her always being around him, always asking him questions, as a form of curiosity, when it was clearly something else. He had missed that observation. It only became clear to him when they kissed, and he saw it in her eyes; the softness, the warmth, the blush on her cheeks, and the sound of her beating heart.

Shit; he had been blind.

Koishi breathed in deeply, her mind finally triggered to start the "waking up" process. She stirred and slowly opened her eyes. Those perfect sapphire-blue irises, mixed in with an unknown color, looked up at Enishi. Instantly, she smiled, her face lit up, and she embraced him. He wrapped hesitant arms around her to return her affection. She did not notice his hesitancy. Koishi started to place gentle kisses on his chest and neck, and then she stopped.

She sighed and snuggled closer to her lover, burying her face into his chest, embracing him with her right arm, and right leg, drawing him closer to her. Enishi still kept himself propped up on his right arm, and his left arm draped over her.

"Koishi," he began, his tone was a "no nonsense" tone, and he wanted an immediate answer. "What happened last night?"

"We made love." She answered, her voice muffled in his chest.

"I know that." Enishi retorted, somewhat irritated. "I'm asking why you started it."

Koishi pulled back, although her arm and leg were still draped over him; her eyebrow arched at him, and a sense of familiarity, a sort of dejia vu, triggered in Enishi's mind.

"You know, Enishi," she began. "There is such a thing as refusal if you don't want to do something."

"Who said I didn't want to?" Enishi asked, somewhat amused, and she blinked in response. "Now, why did you start it?"

"Well," Koishi answered blatantly. "Did you not think that, maybe, I have some attachment to you?"

"It crossed my mind during my musings." He admitted.

"So now, where does that leave us?"

Enishi had been dreading that question. He was not ready to answer yet. He had never had any love or attachment to a woman, other than his sister, and despite what many others thought, it was not at all a sexual attachment. He was the only Yukishiro son, and so, even when she was older than him, it was his duty to protect her.

Yet, where did that leave Koishi?

"You're not….answering…" she pointed out, and he saw the dread in her eyes.

She had willingly given herself to him, without being married, and in their culture, that was shameful to her, and her family. If he rejected her, it was his right; but she would be shamed before her family. Her father, if he ever found out, for the sake of her honor, would probably hunt him down and demand marriage to Koishi. That was her family's right.

Well, they were not in Japan and as far as her family was concern, they were not there to protest their decisions. Her eyes stared at him, and he was also staring.

"Yes?" she pried.

"You look familiar and I don't know why."

Genuine confusion came over Koishi's face. That was what Enishi liked about her; she was so easy to read. Too many times he had to deal with deceitful women, but she never lied to him. He concluded, in his mind, that she was the only person he could trust; even more than Feng.

"I never did get your surname, if Enishi is not your surname." she suddenly pointed out.

"Yukishiro." He answered.

"Yukishiro…" she smiled and she liked the way it sounded. "Which area of Japan are you from?" she asked.

"Edo."

"You know we call it 'Tokyo' now."

"I grew up calling it Edo."

"Do you know people in Tokyo?" she inquired.

Tokyo was once called Edo, during the Shougunate days when Kyoto used to be the capital of Japan. After Meiji began, Edo was renamed Tokyo.

Enishi shrugged before he went back into his self-made fort where no one could get in, and he refused to come out. Koishi saw it, and she felt an emotion, like a sting she could not describe, hit her and flow through her body.

"You're doing it again…" she whispered.

"What am I doing?" he asked, almost in a cold voice.

"You're back and forth actions are making me dizzy." She stated in a whispered, tight voice.

Wait; had she not already said that?

"Damn it." He cussed to himself.

"What?"

"Why do you resist my every move?" he pressed with a voice almost accusing.

It took Koishi a while before she could answer, "I…I care about you, Enishi."

They stared at each other for the longest time; Enishi's face void of any emotional response. Koishi's eyes, with their interesting colors, were pleading, begging for him.

He closed his eyes to her and shook his head.

"I know we keep going back and forth on this," he said. "I admit that; however, I really don't think this is a good idea. It's just the way it is."

"Am I not worthy of Yukishiro Enishi's favor?" Koishi mocked, and she meant it to sound exactly as it came out.

His response was a glare of warning, but no verbal reprimand.

"You have my favor, Koishi."

"I'm glad." She replied genuinely. "You also have my favor."

"For how long?"

"What?"

"For how long?" Enishi repeated. "Remember, there is quite an age difference between us. Would I still be favorable to you when I'm non-ambulatory and need assistance with even the most basic, mundane tasks?"

"Yes."

"Even if I become inadequate?"

"Yes." Koishi responded, her eyes fiercely serious.

Enishi was half relieved to hear her response, to see that nothing he said could deter her from the choice she made to keep him. The other half still had nagging doubt.

"Well, then," he started while he ignored the other, doubtful half of himself. "If I am to become inadequate, then let's not waste the time we have while I'm still adequate."

Koishi only smiled.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Feng arrived later that day with an umbrella in his hand, for the winter rain had been coming down hard and cold. He entered without knocking, closed his umbrella, set it against the wall, and immediately took off his shoes. He stepped up and looked to his left where the formal dining room was.

"Good afternoon, Feng-san." Koishi greeted in a sing-song voice.

The Chinese man's eyes widened upon seeing the young woman in such a wonderful mood. It was rather unusual for her to be in an upbeat state, and more unusual of her to sit in the formal dining room surrounded by colorful paper.

"Um, hi…Koishi." Feng replied uncertainly. "What're you doing?"

Koishi held up two of her projects in each hand with a smile and replied, "Making paper flowers and cranes."

Indeed, one of the projects she held up was a blue paper flower, and the second was a yellow crane; they were both held up by thread, and she had others attached to the thread.

"That's…interesting." He replied, even though he had no idea why anyone would waste their time with such useless projects.

She smiled in response and informed, "The master is waiting for you up in the library."

Feng nodded his thanks and walked up one of the grand staircases. He knocked a few times on the library double doors before he entered. Enishi stood next to his very large window and stared hard at the outside, although his eyes were unfocused.

"What is the word?" he asked without looking at his right hand man.

"Ru decided to go with Ju-Long." The Japanese-looking Chinese man answered. "Chong also, but he might reconsider."

Enishi glared out the window upon hearing the bad news. With a hard sigh, he replied, "I have no choice but to let it go."

"Well, it might not all be in vein." Feng informed. "The other two bosses wanted to have a word with you this evening."

"What about?"

"They, of course, wouldn't give me the details, but at least you've gained a meeting with them. Maybe you three could work something out."

The white-haired man looked at his companion with a skeptical look as he said, "There is no 'working something out' with those two."

"I'm sorry, Hu, but I would advise you to try something. You have so many enemies surrounding you, and very few people are on your side."

Enishi glared hard at Feng, and the Chinese man took a step back. The third mafia boss inhaled deeply and agreed, "It can't be helped. Where do they want to meet?"

"The vineyard."

The vineyard was on Ju-Long's property and was a cover for his opium business, if he even needed one. With so many corrupt politicians on his side, he could grow those opium flowers right in his front lawn, and no one would be able to protest or do anything.

He nodded once and murmured, "This had put me in a rather irritated mood."

"Speaking of moods, what happened to that girl?" Feng asked with a laugh. "She's just downstairs decorating your place with paper flowers and cranes! She's in quite an exquisite mood!"

Enishi stared at him with a raised eyebrow, but refused further details as the Chinese man left, laughing hard.

That evening, the rain had stopped, but the clouds still covered the sky with a heavy thickness. Enishi walked the three acres it took to get to the vineyard, owned by Ju-Long. Before, in his younger years, Enishi would never have had dealings with the illicit drug mafia, but since the illegal firearms group he ran was all but dispensed, he had to deal with those two low lives in order to get back on top.

He saw both Huang and Ju-Long as he walked up the last acre towards their meeting place. They both wore formal changshan, as Enishi wore a simple kung fu suit, his usual blue cloak wrapped around his body, and hidden within the cloak, his wattou.

He made the mistake of not bringing his wattou before, and he would never repeat it again.

Enishi stopped a few feet away from the other two mafia bosses as he placed two fingers to the bridge of his tinted spectacles and pushed them up to cover his cold blue topaz eyes.

"I was informed you wished to speak with me." he began.

"That is the true," Huang agreed with utmost pleasantness. "We do wish to speak with you."

"Alright," Enishi relented. "Start talking."

"No need for hostility, Hu." Huang chuckled.

Ju-Long remained silent as he glared deadly at the white-haired man; a look that would have unnerved any ordinary person, but Enishi was not ordinary.

"First," Huang continued. "We're sorry to hear that you have lost favor of both government officials."

"It happens from time to time." Enishi replied with a dismissing shrug of his shoulders, but inwardly, he was seething.

"That it does; that it does." The Chinese man agreed with a wave of satisfaction. "That is, Ju-Long and I have agreed to give you a share of the officials, a portion of profit, strictly for maintaining a certain amount of peace."

Enishi raised an eyebrow and looked to and fro from Huang, to Ju-Long, and back to Huang. Finally he responded with, "A certain amount of peace? Am I mistaking you two for kind hearted saps? I humiliated his wife," he indicated to Ju-Long, "Even though I was speaking the truth. And now you both decide, suddenly, to give me a portion of profit?"

Ju-Long's glare grew even more deadly as Huang answered, "Well, we're asking for a price, of course."

"Let me guess; you want Yamataro."

Huang's face became strangely amused and he replied, "That was a very close guess. It is something….or rather, someone, we want."

"The suspense is killing me." Enishi said with much sarcasm. "I have no one else except Yamataro."

"You do," Huang corrected. "Ju-Long and I both agreed simultaneously that we will give you one of the government officials if you give us that darling hellion of yours."

Enishi knew of whom Huang was speaking of, and his blood ran cold upon hearing it. He face, however, remained stoic as he replied, "What do you want with her?"

Huang smiled pleasantly and said, "We both agreed that a payment is due, for the humiliation you brought upon Ju-Long and his wife."

As is custom, as payment for a public shame, a price must be paid to the one humiliated, usually on their terms. The price is commonly named by the one in shame.

Enishi looked at the two mafia leaders with great suspicion as he said, "You, I can understand your reasons for wanting the girl," he indicated towards Huang, and then turned to Ju-Long. "But I don't understand your reasons."

"My reasons of agreement are my own." Ju-Long said with a cold voice.

"It's not as if we're going to treat dear Koishi harshly." Huang reassured. "And you can still enjoy her, too. We just wanted you to agree to make her The Mediator."

Enishi knew what that meant. The Mediator was a woman that the three mafia bosses enjoyed for a single month before she was passed on to the next boss for his month of enjoyment. The reasons were to keep a common ground between the three bosses so they did not argue among themselves. It was a way of keeping peace by sharing a woman, although Enishi did not fully understand how that worked.

"The Mediator is Bao." He argued. "There's no reason for the girl to be a Mediator."

"Bao is still exquisite," Huang explained. "But she's thirty now, and has been with us since she was thirteen; for seventeen years. She will still be a Mediator, but we both agreed it's time for a second Mediator to come. Ju-Long decided Koishi will be a perfect payment for his wife's shame. You also win; you gain a government official."

Enishi wanted to tell them to go to hell; he would never give them Koishi. And yet, he was in one hell of a situation; give them the girl, and he gets a government official in return. Then she would be doomed to a life of a high profiled whore addicted to opium.

Huang kept Bao tied to his hip by keeping her addicted to opium. Before, she had tried many times to run away, back to Japan, and on the third attempt, the second mafia boss had enough. He put opium in her drink, just as he had Koishi on the night of the Duwan festival, and thereafter. A period of time passed, and the girl was addicted.

It is hell for an addict to sober up; muscle cramps, hot and cold flashes, vomiting, the whole process was an awful, painful, and miserable one.

Enishi was certain Koishi would suffer the same fate.

"Take some time to think about it." Huang suggested. "Just remember, Hu; you have very little options, hardly any comrades, and no one to turn to."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Enishi walked the long walk back to his mansion with a very slow pace. His thoughts were jumbled up as he tried to sort out the demands of Huang and Ju-Long.

They wanted Koishi as a second Mediator.

He knew why Huang would want the girl, for he was obviously attracted to her; but Ju-Long's purpose for wanting the girl was a mystery. He never showed any interest in her, and certainly never bought her expensive items, unlike Huang.

Most importantly, why was he not willing to give up Koishi?

It just did not seem right, though for Ju-Long to be interested in the girl. And then a theory came to him; the first mafia boss probably agreed to have Koishi as a Mediator because he wanted to see Enishi suffer, as if her loss would affect him.

Enishi bedded Yue, Ju-Long's wife, so the mafia boss more than likely wanted Koishi to suffer a similar humiliation; to be bedded and shared by three mafia bosses. He probably wanted Enishi to live through the mere thought that for one entire month she belonged to Ju-Long, that she was being defiled by him.

The boss probably also wanted Enishi to live through Koishi's addiction to opium, because that would more than likely be the only way she would ever allow them to bed her, for she was such a firecracker.

"Nee-san," Enishi said as he closed his eyes, even while he walked. "What am I supposed to do?"

His sister's face appeared to him, and although she did not have the look of deep hurt, she was still unsmiling. He opened his eyes wide, for that was a big improvement, compared to her unsmiling, hurt face.

What caused that change?

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Koishi awoke with a start; all she did was lay down for a quick minute, and she fell asleep. She groaned and looked to her right. Even in the darkness, a sliver of the moon was enough for her to see the white haired man sitting on the futon, his back to her.

"Enishi?" Koishi prompted.

The man made no attempt to respond to her; instead, he just stared blankly into the darkness. He did not move a single inch, as if he had suddenly become a perfect replica of a statue. Koishi sat up and place a hand on Enishi's shoulder.

"Daijoubu, Enishi?"

Finally, the human statue shook his head. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. With a single hand, he pressed his digits to his temple and vigorously massaged it.

"This isn't good." Enishi stated softly with a shake of his head, causing her hands to release his face.

"What's not good?"

"This…whole situation between us; it's not good for both of us."

"Why not?" Koishi challenged.

"You just attract trouble."

"How have I attracted trouble?"

"First, the organization that kidnapped you back in Japan. I don't know much about them, but I do know that they more than likely watched you for a while to gain knowledge of your routine; either that, it was just pure coincidence." Enishi simply answered, but did not wait for a retort. "Second, Huang, the men in that chased you into an alleyway, and finally, Ju-Long."

"How have I attracted trouble in the form of Ju-Long?" Koishi demanded.

"…To be more specific, I attracted the trouble."

"How did you manage to do that?"

"Ju-Long's wife, Yue, wanted me to bed her, and I refused." Enishi answered as he lit the bedside lamp. "She was angry at my refusal, so she spread rumors about me during the winter festival. I fired back, in front of the whole rich society of Shanghai, and humiliated her and Ju-Long."

"What does that have to do with me?" Koishi inquired further.

"For retribution, both Huang and Ju-Long want a trade, and in turn, I get one government official on my side."

"Did I do anything wrong?" she asked.

Enishi allowed himself a perplex expression when he glanced at Koishi.

"I mean," she clarified. "Did I do anything wrong to you that would make you unhappy?"

Enishi was absolutely still once again when she stated her thoughts regarding his happiness.

"That's my life, Koishi." He finally stated in a soft but tight voice.

"What do you mean?" she pressed.

"Whenever I have a moment of happiness, even a single grain of sand-sized happiness, it is rather violently snatched away from me. I can never be happy."

"You can be happy." Koishi insisted.

"It's not worth it, to be happy."

"You have a right to be happy, Enishi." She said firmly. "You have to fight for your right to be happy."

"…Fight?"

"Figuratively."

"I'm so tired of fighting…both literally and figuratively."

"Then find something that makes you happy and hold on to it with everything your worth!"

Finally, blue topaz eyes gazed at her, and Koishi inwardly flinched at his solemn, worn face. This "new" Enishi was the scariest one she had ever faced, even more than the uncontrollable one. This one looked similar to a person who was ready to give up on life; not the Enishi she had grown fond of.

Bravely, she cupped Enishi's face in her hands and just held his face. They did not speak for a period of time; only gazed at one another in their silence.

Finally, she spoke softly, "You make me happy, Enishi."

Enishi blinked at Koishi but remained silent towards her confession. In his mind, he was panicked, yet simultaneously, and strangely, relieved to know her thoughts about him.

Visions of a katana blade slicing through a beautiful woman, and her ruby-red blood soaking the white snow everywhere suddenly flashed though his mind's eye. He quickly moved away from the young woman, and of course, confusion on her part set in.

"Doushite, Enishi?" Koishi asked with a soft, whisper-like voice.

He simply shook his head, she moved towards him, and he moved away once again. The semi-couple acted that way several more times, until finally, Koishi caught Enishi, and she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and rested her face against his chest.

"I won't hurt you, Enishi!" she desperately explained. "I swear on my life, I won't hurt you!"

"The fact that you swore on your life tells me different."

"What do you mean?!" she yelled after she lifted her face to look at him.

"Women; they so easily, so readily, give up their lives for the person most important to them that they fail to think about the impact it would have on the ones that also care for them."

"Dame, Enishi; don't push me away, please." (Dame = Don't; regarding actions)

Enishi had no response for Koishi. Inwardly, he was torn; half of him wanted to keep her away, and the other half of him wanted to finally wake up and live again…with her. He simply settled for a shake of his head.

"Please don't push me away." She begged again.

"You don't even know me; the things I've done."

"You don't know me, either; but it's all in the past and I don't care. Let's just care about what's happening right now."

"I won't—" Enishi started to say, but Koishi prevented him from speaking further by sealing her lips with her own.

It was not like their other kisses, ones of passion and desperation; it was so soft, so gentle, it broke Enishi inside, so suddenly, that he grabbed her tightly and would not let go.

"Aijaku…" he whispered.

It was so beautiful to watch her, so beautiful; the way she responded to his soft touches, his soft caresses; the way she held him tightly, and the soft, begging cries from her beautiful voice.

He was causing her dishonor every time they united, and before, he did not care; but now, with their satisfaction, he felt the guilt rise.

Enishi had never, in his life, felt guilty, even with the horrible, despicable acts he had committed. Now, with Koishi, he was slowly awakening within. He did not want to hurt her, but with his accursed life, that was inevitable.

She was so beautiful, so sweet, and belonged only to him; aijaku.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Aijaku: a covetous affection of love.

No, it's not a love confession; it's more of an in-between. A love, yes, but also a possessive love, like how a spoiled child would jealously guard their property.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The wind blew hard with a chill so cold it burned. Yet, a cloaked figure stood in the wind with his wattou hidden under it. He called for a meeting, just with Huang since he was enough and he could pass the message on to Ju-Long.

"Hu," Huang greeted. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"No pleasure." Enishi replied. "I just came to inform you of my answer."

"Go ahead."

"Remember when you first met Koishi, and you wanted her?"

"Of course." Huang answered with a pleasant smile.

"Remember when I told you, 'you can have Koishi when you pry her from my cold, dead carcass'?"

Huang's smile faded, but he gave a nod as his answer.

"It still remains that way." Enishi said with a hard voice. "You will never have Koishi."

Huang gain his pleasant face back as he informed, "You just made a big mistake, Hu; a big mistake."

O~O~O~O~O~O

The early morning was very cold as a mist settled in the city of Shanghai. No bird could be heard singing their songs as the bitter winter continued to sting.

Enishi stood outside in the biting cold with his blue cloak wrapped around him, a complement to the black kung fu suit he wore. Hidden within was his watou sword, as always, since he had become somewhat paranoid after the one time he left it behind and he ended up wounded.

"Where're we going?" a voice behind him asked.

Enishi glanced behind him and saw Koishi was ready to leave; she wore a turquoise changshan with a black cloak wrapped around her, which was the full length of her body. He noticed she wore the Chinese cloth shoes more than the geta now.

"Just to meet a business partner." He answered as they started up the path.

"You can never get your agendas done, can you?"

"Not really."

After a moment, they went through the iron gates, closed it behind them, and walked on the dirt road. A very cold, bitter wind blew gently over them as they walked, and Koishi had to pause to lift her head up and feel the wind as it passed over them.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Enishi staring at her, so she shrugged and shyly explained, "Sometimes we need to take a brief pause in life and just feel the wind. It's very peaceable; you should try it."

"Feel the wind?" Enishi repeated, skeptical. "I never paused in my life to feel the wind."

"Have you been constantly on the go all your life?"

"Basically," he answered as he closed his eyes and popped his neck by moving it from side to side. He had been very tense lately. "Ever since I arrived here in Shanghai, it's always been that way."

Koishi hesitated, but noted, "You never had a kind hand extended to you?"

He never looked at her, but visions of a happy family who cared for him when he was on the brink of death came to his mind's eye. Then it all vanish with red blood painted everywhere on the walls.

"I did have a family care for me; once."

She knew of what family he spoke of, so she did not press the details on that subject. Instead, she rephrased, "I meant, while you were out on the streets; no one extended a kind hand?"

Enishi shook his head in a negative manner even though they were walking and replied, "It's always been me; I had to look out for myself, and I learned very quickly. The first words I learned were not very kind words, but it was a start.

"I tried to take food off the food carts and got a beating every time I got caught. That was how I learned how to be fast. I tried to beg outside of restaurants when the patrons would eat, and one time, I got thrown out into the alley; hit my head on the brick building so hard I blacked out. When I awoke, I was covered with rats.

"That gave me an idea; I grabbed them as fast as I could and ate them raw. They're city rats, however, and they carry countless diseases, so I got infected. Those were bad times for me; the times I was always sick, finding shelter in the gutter.

"Sometimes I would find shelter under a porch, but a few times I got chased off the porches and back into the cold, pouring rain. The city of Shanghai is unforgivable; don't expect anyone to lend you a kind hand in this cut-throat place."

Koishi stole a glance of Enishi's profile as they continued to walk down the dirt road; his shoes made soft crunching noises upon the gravel. She reached out with her hand and grabbed his hand. He looked down at her as she rewarded him with a nice smile.

"In the city of Shanghai," she explained. "I am extending a kind hand to you."

She laced their fingers together and held on gently; Enishi allowed it.

The time passed and they finally got to a stretch of vacant land, very rare for Shanghai, and it also still had trees in various places. The early morning fog had long since lifted, but the bitter cold still remained as dark clouds slowly passed overhead.

There was a lone figure that stood among the trees, and Koishi recognized him as Jun. She met Enishi's lawyer during the swordfight a while back. The reason for meeting the lawyer was not known to the young woman, for she never had the chance to ask her companion where they were going, and whom they were meeting.

"Go out to the trees, but stay within view." Enishi ordered as he released his hand from her grip.

Koishi rolled her eyes at the white-haired man's change of behavior, but did not argue as she walked to the furthest tree possible without going out of sight.

"Hu," Jun greeted with a nod of his head. "You have summoned me here."

"Indeed." Enishi agreed. "I have a situation that needs tending to."

"What is your predicament?"

"Huang and Ju-Long."

"Ah, those two." Jun said as he shook his head. "What have they done now?"

"They have gotten two government officials on their side and left me with nothing."

"I'm sure there are more corrupt individuals for you, Hu."

"I'm not doing this for financial gain, Jun." Enishi reminded irritably. "I'm trying to destroy this organization, and one of the ways to do that is to take away every source of monetary gain."

"I understand. So what is your next step?"

Enishi sighed as he looked passed Jun's shoulder and saw Koishi a few paces off as she sat on the cold ground. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to have peaceful thoughts.

"They want her as the second Mediator." He informed.

Jun did not turn around to look at the girl, for he knew of whom his client spoke of. With a shrug of his shoulders, he advised, "If she's causing trouble for you, Hu, adhere to the code."

Enishi gave his lawyer a sharp look, for he knew what the code required of each individual, member of the mafia or not. Even Koishi, who never wanted anything to do with the organization, was under the same code.

"It would be better than the life that awaits her as Mediator." Jun prompted.

That was very true; if he got rid of the young woman, then it end a few other problems for him. Enishi glanced at Koishi again as she sat propped up against a tree. He did not know why, but he could envision her surrounded by sakura trees as they released their darling pink and white flowers around her like falling snow.

He nodded once and said, "I need to settle a few things over in Japan first when spring comes back and the ships are frequenting the harbor. I'll take her with me; she'll enjoy a trip to her native country."

Jun nodded with a wave of faux pity and simply stated, "The poor girl."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Koishi was not sure how much time had passed while she sat with the bare trees as company as Enishi discussed his business with his lawyer, Jun.

Even though the biting cold had lingered, even in the midafternoon, it was still peaceful and quiet in the area she sat. Her eyes closed, as she thought of the spring; of the Sakura festivals during the spring. She missed the pink and white flower petals as they fell around the land in a blanket of pink and white.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Enishi came to Koishi's rescue. He stood above her, and she rose to her feet, carefully brushing down her cloak.

"Would you walk with me?" Enishi asked.

Koishi simply nodded, and they walked off the stretch of wilderness and down the dirt road. She wondered if they were going to walk the whole way back to the mansion, again, but simultaneously, she did not mind, for the weather was cold and made it easier to walk. Plus, she had energy to burn.

They walked in comfortable silence for a while, and finally, Koishi just could not help but ask, "So, how long was your discussion?"

"About an hour."

"Did you work everything out?"

Enishi did not answer at first, but with a simple shrug he answered, "As well as can be expected."

"That's good."

"Come spring time, we will take a trip back to Japan."

Koishi almost stumbled in her pace, but she recovered from her surprise and continued walking. She nodded and stated, "It would be wonderful to see Japan again. Do you think we could eat sukiyaki?"

The excitement in her voice was hardly contained, but Enishi ignored it. Instead, he settled to ask her, "What's so great about sukiyaki?"

"It's my favorite dish, and Tokyo makes the best sukiyaki." Koishi said. "Ne, Enishi; since it would be spring when we go there, we should sit under the sakura trees and eat sukiyaki."

"I have no time for such foolishness." Enishi responded.

"Please," she begged. "Even for just a few minutes. It's Tokyo's favorite spring pastime; please?"

With a sigh, he said, "If it would make you shut up about it."

"Please promise me."

He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow, never breaking his stride, and said, "I promise."

The walk back took a while, but both did not mind the time it took, nor the energy spent. They walked down the path an up to the front yard, back just in time before the sun set.

Koishi entered first, and took off her shoes, anticipating a long soak in the Japanese bathhouse. She was just about to step up onto the floor with her bare feet, but then stopped, and made a cry of surprise.

Enishi looked at the floor after his lover's vocal surprise, and both saw broken glass and pieces of fine china all over the floor. Koishi looked to their immediate left, and saw the dining room was destroyed. She placed a hand over her mouth to hide her anger at the destroyed possessions.

"Stay here." Enishi commanded in a dark voice as he put his Western-style shoes back on, and revealed his watou sword from its usual hiding place within his cloak.

Koishi did not pay any attention to his command, but placed her delicate Chinese shoes on her feet and carefully walked over the broken glass. In the dining room, the oak furniture was destroyed to pieces; all the China sets in the glass cabinet was shattered and scattered all over the floor.

She walked to the right, down the narrow hall, to the kitchen, despite Enishi's quiet warning noises, and was only half surprised to also see it destroyed. She shook her head and quickly turned around to the front entrance.

Koishi all but ran up one of the grand staircases and to her room. Not surprisingly, it was also destroyed; the futon, all her clothes were cut up, and glass littered the floor. She almost wanted to cry, and as Enishi cautiously walked up the staircase, she noticed one of the double doors to the library was slightly open, and she saw a glowing light coming from the room.

She opened the door and saw books scattered everywhere, some not destroyed, and there was full fire burning in the fireplace beside Enishi's desk. She heard a clank behind her, and saw Enishi drop his watou sword.

In the blink of an eye, he was over at the fireplace, digging something out of the burning pit. As gently as he could, he patted and swatted the flames off a book that looked like it had been torn along with the two roped cords which held it together.

A single page, clean and untouched by the fire floated to Koishi's feet. She squatted down, picked it up, and recognized the beautiful calligraphy written on the paper. With wide eyes, she looked at Enishi, who finally put the fire out on the book. His look was devastated, as he stared at the completely destroyed diary that had once belonged to his deceased sister.

The last connection he had to his sister was now gone forever.

As Koishi stared mournfully at her lover, his face slowly began to change. The devastated look slowly started to melt away, and a look of inexplicable rage and hatred slowly began to take form. His eyebrows furrowed deeply together, and his teeth clinched tightly into feral sneer.

Koishi's eyes widened with fear as she finally saw the man Enishi had once been rise to the surface with a terrible aura that demanded justice in the form of death. He stood up, grasped his watou, and with the swift and gracefulness of a tiger, left the library.

"Enishi?" Koishi called as she released the delicate paper from her fingers, allowed it to float to the floor, and quickly followed her lover.

She had to stop him from making any irrational decisions during his rage, at any cost. She saw he was already half way down the first grand staircase.

"Enishi!" she called. "Stop!"

He did not stop; it was as if he did not hear her, so as quickly as she could she all but ran down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, she grabbed his arm to make him stop.

"Let me go." Enishi said in a very dangerous voice, his back still to her.

"Stop!" Koishi begged. "They'll know you're coming; you'll be killed!"

Enishi turned to look at her, and her breath caught in her throat when she saw very dangerous eyes glaring her down.

"Do you think I fear death?" he asked as he yanked his arm out of her grasp.

"I fear your death! Please!" Koishi continued to beg as she grabbed his arm again. "Please just wait until you have the upper hand and surprise on your side!"

Maybe if she talked him out of going after the responsible party, he would come to his senses and loose his interest in killing those people.

"I have the upper hand!" Enishi growled and yanked his arm from Koishi's grasp again.

She then moved in front of him and wrapped her arms tightly around him while she rested her face on his chest. It seemed to get his attention, for he stopped his pace towards the front doors. They were like that for a period of time, the silence stifling.

"Please, Enishi." She tried again to make him see reason. "I care about you and I don't want you to get killed. I understand your anger, but you must see passed it; please."

Slowly, ever so slowly, the rage within him finally ebbed away and his reasoning came back once again. He knew she was right; he would probably get killed if he went on a rampage, and the realization that cooled his anger was that she would be alone if that happened.

He half-heartedly tried to get away from her grip, but she held him to her with all her strength.

"Please stay with me, Enishi." Koishi begged.

He stilled, finally relaxed, and held her in his strong arms as the scent of cherry blossoms surrounded him.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

He slowly awoke and moved his hand to feel for her. When his hand landed on an empty space, he was instantly awake and quickly on his feet. He scrambled to put his clothes on, anxiety rising within him as thoughts of what could have happen to her raced through his mind. He stilled when his only ear with good hearing picked up the sound of glass moving on the floor. Then he marveled at the fact that she was able to get up and move about the mansion without his psyche making him aware of it.

Enishi straightened his clothes and walked out of the room towards the two grand staircases. Up at the balcony, he looked down and saw Koishi with a Chinese straw broom, sweeping up the broken glass. He watched her as he descended down one of the staircases. She was dressed only in a robe, and as he came downstairs, she sensed his presence, and she smiled at him.

"Please forgive my rudeness." She said.

When Enishi frowned, Koishi stuck out her foot, revealing her Chinese cloth shoes on her feet. It was very rude, in their culture, to wear shoes in the house, but she probably wore them to protect her feet from the shattered glass everywhere. Even if there was no glass, and she was wearing her shoes in the mansion, he would not care; so he shrugged.

"You can stop cleaning up." he informed her.

"Why?"

"The cleaning crew will be here today; it's their day."

Koishi looked towards the formal dining room, the whole room an absolute mess; the expensive china sets littered the wooden floors in pieces and the expensive wooden, Western-style table and chairs were in splintered shambles.

"Is it going to stay cold here in Shanghai?" she inquired.

"For a while, yes." Enishi answered. "Why?"

"Well, you have all this broken furniture, one fireplace, and my thought was to use the now useless furniture as firewood. We could sleep in the library with the one fireplace and buy furniture the next season while burning the wood from the destroyed furniture."

He paused for a moment before he complemented, "You're very resourceful."

"Thank you." Koishi said with a bright smile. "It comes from growing up in a family where we didn't always have much of a financial budget and we had to find ways to make it."

"Were you poor?"

"No." Koishi answered, and then hesitated before correcting with an unsure, "Yes? Well, we didn't have an overabundance, but we had what we needed."

"That's called just getting by in life."

Before Koishi could give her retort, there were several knocks on the door. She walked over to the double doors, Chinese straw broom in hand, opened it, and allowed the three ladies to enter. They stopped short, including Zhan, and observed the destructive mess.

Koishi bowed and rested the Chinese straw broom against the wall and requested to Enishi, "Please tell them, don't touch the library; I'll clean that up."

He nodded once and spoke Cantonese to the women. In turn, they bowed their understanding and proceeded to clean up the debris. Koishi then went up to the library and closed the doors behind her.

The library was still, obviously, a complete mess with books everywhere, some torn apart, and a few burnt to black ash. There was one book that caught her eye, and she remembered it as the one Enishi grabbed from the lit fireplace in attempt to save it.

She sat in seiza position and tenderly picked up the blackened mass. She knew there was no saving the book, but she remembered how much it meant to Enishi. So, she carefully stood up, with the destroyed book in her tender hands, and gingerly placed it on his untouched desk.

Afterwards, Koishi proceeded to clean up the huge room. The books that were still in good, even fair shape were placed back on the shelves in her categorized order.

After that task was completed, she picked up all the ruined, torn books, and placed them in a neat pile on Enishi's desk. As she was picking up the various pieces of paper off the floor, Enishi entered into the library and closed the door behind him.

"What are those books doing on my desk?" he asked.

"Well, you own them, and I figured I should ask you what to do with them." She answered.

"Just throw them away." Enishi said. "They're of no use anymore."

"I'll put them over by the fireplace; more winter fuel to burn."

Enishi walked over to his desk and sat in his chair. He gazed at the black, chard book that was once his sister's journal.

"Why're you saving this?" he inquired softly.

"I thought you might want to keep it anyway, even in the condition it's in."

"There's no use having it around anymore." Enishi said with a stoic face.

"Keep it anyway, just in case." Koishi countered with a soft smile.

Enishi gave up the quarrel, and allowed Koishi to continue cleaning the library. She picked up the various parchments into her hand, carefully examining each one before she collected it into her "to burn" pile. Finally, she came to the piece of paper that she saw the night before, and as she read it, she had a very strong sense of Deja vu.

"_My first happiness was destroyed because of him, yet he gave me a new happiness, one that I can enjoy with him. I cannot let him die here."_

Koishi put aside the sense of foreboding and carefully placed the paper on Enishi's desk, which in turn, he picked up and read as well.

He snorted before he stated, "It figures this would be the only page that survives the fire."

Koishi could not say anything, for she had no idea what the paper was about; however, she could not ignore the gaze of despair as he looked over his sister's journal.

"Enishi," she offered. "Please join me in the bathhouse."

Enishi blinked at her less than imaginative request, but he still nodded once to grant her request. After she left, he waited a few minutes, staring at nothing, his mind blank, until he finally got up, walked downstairs, and went down the hallway to the Japanese style bathhouse.

After he walked into the room, closed the door, and turned around, he saw Koishi, sitting seiza in the middle of the washroom. When she saw him, she bowed goshu-zarei, and sat back up.

"In our culture, we believe that washing ourselves is a form of purification. It can relax us, relieve our stress, and mend our souls. Please join me."

Enishi once again blinked, but he removed all his clothing. She picked them up off the floor and folded them neatly to the side. Koishi proceeded to wash him all over with her delicate, petite hands, not in a sensual manner, but a soft, massaging way.

Indeed, he was relaxed, his stress was gone, but his soul was not yet mended; still restless.

She poured water all over him, and then whispered to him, "Now you get into the ofuro."

"I remember that much of Japanese culture." He replied softly.

Enishi got up, got into the ofuro, and relaxed into the warm water like a babe in the mother's womb. He silently sighed in complete content as his muscles slowly started to relax, as if he had been tense all his life. He looked over at Koishi who sat with her back against the side of the ofuro, staring into nothing.

"It's a little late to be shy, isn't it?" he asked.

She glanced at him with a sly smile and replied, "No, I'm waiting for an open invitation."

"Fine; I'm inviting you."

Koishi nodded once, quickly bathed and joined Enishi, seating herself across from him. She breathed deeply and exhaled softly, also relaxing into the warmth of the water.

They stared at each other for a good while. After the time had passed, Enishi then grabbed Koishi gently by her arms and kissed her gently, yet passionately. She responded with much the same vigor. The emotions between them seemed to burn through them, flowing through their blood. He pulled back, both of them panting.

Both Huang and Ju-Long could go to the seventh circle of hell; this young woman, whom he had his arms wrapped around, who tasted like sweet, sweet mango, lips soft like a rose pedal, and smelled like sakura, belonged only to him.

Koishi belonged only to Enishi.

"I have a few conditions." Enishi said.

"Conditions?" Koishi pressed.

"One, I will keep you, but as a lover. Agreed?"

Koishi nodded.

"Two, I am the last Yukishiro male, and I vowed to let it stay that way. Agreed?"

Again, Koishi nodded. Enishi stared at her for a few moments before he questioned her more.

"Why do you agree to my terms so readily?"

"If having you as a lover is what makes you happy," she answered. "Then I'll gladly accept, on one condition of mine."

"Which is…?" he pressed.

"I will be your only lover. No future wife, no concubine; just you and I."

"In case you didn't notice, I'm not courting anyone." Enishi reminded her. "Nor am I accepting any willing participants."

"That could change in the future." Koishi accused. "We might end up bored with each other, and go our separate ways; maybe even have new lovers."

Enishi promptly grabbed her and held her tightly to him, and even though the added pressure did not hurt her, his anger showed blatantly on his face.

"I do not play games. Yes, the other women I've had were just toys for me; but when I am serious about a woman, I do not play games! Do not play me for a fool, Koishi. Are you only mine?"

His tone was abrupt, even strict. There was, however, some underlining emotion within his voice. Enishi was not an emotional person, but when he deemed something, or someone, belonged to him, he was very protective; even possessive.

"I swear it," Koishi answered calmly, despite her lover's outburst. "I only belong to you, and no one else."

Enishi then relaxed, satisfied with her answer, and released his grip on her. She, in turn, sat straight and eyeed him with her arms crossed, and her scolding eyebrow raised.

"Well?" she prompted.

"Doushite?"

"Do you belong only to me as well?"

When Enishi did not answer right away, Koishi frowned deeply, casting him the stink-eye.

"I want to hear you say it!" she yelled.

He was perplex, as well as amused, at her outburst. After a smirk and a soft, throaty chuckle, he nodded and said, "Hai; I only belong to you."

"Good." Koishi said as she sat on the edge of the ofuro. "Then claim me."

Enishi smirked with amusement, and asked, "When did you suddenly become a siren?"

"Since you made me yours the first time; and I'm only a siren for you." she said before she lapsed into an overly dramatic begging tone. "Please, Enishi-kun, please don't leave me wanting."

He did not leave her wanting.

_To Be Continued…_

**AN**: Yay! A long chapter; yay! …With quite a few sexual innuendos. The burning of Tomoe's diary was quite cruel of me, don't you think? Still, it showed that Koishi had enough influence on Enishi to make him calm down enough to prevent him from walking right into a death trap. And winter will pass before you know it, and next chapter will be an exciting chapter! (anime smile)


	16. Chapter 16

**AN:** Dear readers, of course I will give an explination to the whole Enishi-Kaoru thing. If I mentioned it, and then did not explain it, that would be bad writing on my end. The explination, however, would be later, because there would have to be a proper time to bring it up. Oh, and the begining of this chapter might be concitered lemon-y for some readers. Just giving a fair warning just in case.

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 16_

Winter slowly ebbed away and passed without any other incident reoccurring for the lovers. Throughout winter, Enishi and Koishi grew to know everything and every inch of each other. He could always read her, and he could tell that she was painfully sheltered, and he loved to take her beyond her saftey zone.

He could not understand why he had such yerning for her, unlike the few other women he bedded. When her beautiful eyes looked at him with such want, such need, his body was filled with a fire, and he was on her faster than she could blink.

She definately had a healthy libido, and it only took a touch in the right spot to get her going. Sometimes it was rough, with just great need and lust, and other times, it was soft and gentle with so many emotions, she thought she would break. She could never get enough of him, and due to that, he nicknamed her, "Usagi-chan." (little rabbit)

Even though she was half annoyed with the nickname, she could not deny the fact that they did it a lot; sometime twice or three times in one day, but it was a fire within them that could not be contained.

The couple finally came out when the foliage started to come alive once again.

Enishi had been correct when he said it was too cold to snow, for the rain that came was more like ice and fell hard; not like the soft flurries of snow. It was only very early spring; the weather was still cold, but it warmed up just enough to get the foliage to grow its darling buds. All the leaves and flowers were just in the baby bud stage.

There was a government official who came to the mansion, whom the young woman recognized as Chong, from the winter festival. According to him, he had been impressed with Koishi, so he decided to have a personal meeting with Enishi to hear what the third mafia boss had to propose.

Koishi, however, was outside on her own while Feng and Enishi talked business with Chong. She had no stomach for business and politics, so she was quite content to wander the outside property; even though Enishi warned her to stay inside.

Outside, she was completely at ease, lifting her head to the sky while a cool breeze from the sea passed through. Early spring in Shanghai was gorgeous; the rose bushes already had rose buds ready to bloom, the bushes were growing tiny green leaves, and best of all, the hakubaiku trees had their buds ready to bloom.

Koishi wore Enishi's first gift of the season; a woman's traditional hanfu, form-fitting, green in color with blue, four petal orchids patterned on it. Along with her clothes, she also wore Chinese cloth shoes, plain black in color.

Not only that, but she was ecstatic about their upcoming trip back to Japan, which was to be in just a few days. She smiled to herself and envisioned the sukiyaki and sakura trees. Enishi made a promise that they would sit under the trees and eat her favorite dish, and she will remind him of it.

As she calmly walked the garden, from the back to the front, she heard a noise; a loud whisper-like "shhh!" call to get a person's attention. She looked around, the noise called out several times, and finally, she saw several men calmly standing on Enishi's property.

Koishi blinked, and the men moved like silent cats; able to walk without a sound. She started to get nervous, and finally turned to run back to the mansion.

She was trying to run away when one of the men suddenly grabbed her arm and violently pulled her towards himself. As she struggled with her entire being, flashes of her hometown came to her mind's eye, and it all narrowed down to her first kidnapping.

Koishi opened her mouth to scream as loud as she could, but she was pinned with her back against the kidnapper, and a hand clamped over her mouth.

"Shhh." He cooed in her ear. "I really don't want to do this, but we have orders."

She screamed against his hand, her voice muffled, and she vigorously shook her head while salty tears ran down her cheeks. There was something in his hands which caused her lungs to burn, and caused a black tunnel to fill her vision and close in on her; and she slowly drifted into darkness…

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Enishi was inwardly irritated. It seemed the second party, Chong, wanted to practically exchange business with Yamataro with virtually no pay. The negotiations were hard, but they finally came to a full agreement.

Although they were in full agreement, Enishi could tell the second party was not happy with the results. Since the winter was over, exchanges could begin immediately. Now began the most detestable part of Enishi's day; conversing with the "guest."

Enishi was not, in the least, a man of openness. He had always been a man straight to the point, always about business, and only held conversations when it required that business to be completed. To complete business with low lives, however, one was required to carry, and complete, an entire conversation. That was Feng's purpose for being present.

"That girl you have," Chong began. "How old is she?"

Enishi kept his face placid as he shrugged his shoulders. He would much rather not talk about Koishi, strictly because he did not want her to come into the business part of their conversation.

"It's quite alright." Feng reassured, although it was more towards the Chinese man than Enishi. "It is acceptable in the Japanese and Chinese cultures."

The man shrugged and simply stated, "I'm quite curious about her. And I was really impressed to know how she learned to play our erhu. I just want to learn more about her."

"She's Japanese," Enishi clipped. "She's from Japan, and she's within the acceptable age of marriage, unlike what Yue was trying to hint. What else do you want to know about her?"

"What are her talents?"

"Her talent is reading." Enishi said. "That's all; and I have to stop this meeting short, for I have other agendas to complete."

The men nodded once, rose from their seats, and they exited the library room. They walked down one of the grand staircases, and out to the gardens.

Once the corrupt politician was off the property, Enishi said to Feng, "I have to make a short trip to Japan. Yamataro has informed me of another business deal to close off."

"This is why I never wanted a leadership position in this organization; too much stress." Feng replied, but with an understanding smile.

"I need to know something," Enishi began, testing his comrade. "Can you look after the girl while I'm in Japan?"

"You're not going to bring her with you?"

"I've decided to let her remain here." Enishi answered and then repeated, "Can you look after her?"

"You mean don't let anything bad happen to her?" the Chinese man corrected.

"Correct." The white-haired man agreed. "It's just for a few days. She usually just stays in the library; she's not much trouble."

"I'm sorry to disagree with you, Hu, but that girl attracts trouble. She's gained Huang's favor, and has made you soft."

Feng received a murderous glare from Enishi, and caused the Chinese man to bow in apology.

"I'm afraid I must take my leave, too, Hu."

With that, Feng walked all the way off the Yukishio property. It was at that point Enishi looked around, realizing there was something very wrong. Normally, Koishi would be standing a few feet away as she waited for him to complete his business, but she was not there.

"Koishi?" he called, but no answer.

He walked all around from the back of the property, all the way to the front, called her name as he searched, and a bad feeling grew in his stomach.

"Koishi!" he called again as he walked all the way up his property to the front iron gates.

There, Enishi saw a man standing outside his gates. The Chinese man did not speak, but Enishi instantly recognized the man as one of Ju-Long's lackeys. The Chinese man motioned with his head to his immediate left, turned and started to walk in that direction.

In that instant, Enishi knew what happened to Koishi, and knew, without words, what kind of invitation he just received.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Koishi slowly awoke from her forced slumber. She did not feel well-rested in the least. She felt groggy, like waking up from a night's fitful sleep. To get the kinks out of her neck, she tilted her head back, only to hit it on something hard.

With a hiss of pain, she moved to bring her hand up to rub the smarting part of her head, but she could not move her arms. Adrenaline quickly woke her up to the full, and she looked around, assessing her surroundings.

She was sitting, tied very tightly to a tree trunk. She looked up and saw it was some sort of fruit tree, for she could see the red orbs hiding in the leaves, and a name for the fruit registered in her mind; jujube.

As she looked around, she could see multiple trees with various fruit, making for one colorful orchard. Directly in front of her, however, was an expanse of uncultured land, allowing luscious green grass to grow. To her left, there was a vineyard of purple and green grapes; and before her was a long field of green grass.

Koishi did not want to stay any longer, so she struggled against her bindings, trying to free her hands. She hit her hands several times against the tree's trunk, and a jujube fell from the tree and hit her on the head.

With another hiss of pain, she stopped struggling. That was probably why she was tied to that particular tree; it was ready for harvesting, so any movement against it would bring the fruit down.

"I'm sorry about all this, Koishi."

She looked to her immediate right, and saw Huang; he was dressed in a black changshang, and his face was not very regretful.

"Please let me go." Koishi requested and hated herself for begging.

She always fought; she fought her kidnapers, she fought their exam, she fought while being sold off, and she fought Enishi after he bought her. She always had fight and spunk in her, so begging was something she hated to do, more than anything.

"I'm very sorry, Koishi, I really wish we could let you go." Huang said as he walked closer to her. He placed a gentle hand on her cheek and she flinched away. "Why do you hate me so, but you love that detestable man? Is it that belief that Japanese are superior to all other races?"

"Well, no offense, Huang-san, but Hu never tied me up." Except for one time, but she was not going to elaborate her many, many, countless kinky encounters with said white-haired man.

Huang frowned at the resolution, but said nothing in his own defense. He simply stood back up, turned, and observed the green field before him.

"What do you need me for, anyway?" Koishi asked to the Chinese man's back.

"We need leverage against Hu." Huang answered.

Koishi turned her face away towards the open field, her duo-colored irises deeply saddened. With a heavy sigh she closed her eyes.

"Who are you, girl?" he suddenly asked.

"My name is Koishi." She answered with a soft voice.

"How did you come to know Hu?"

"We met when he made a business trip to Japan. He had to leave quickly, so I went with him to Shanghai."

Koishi found her head snapped to her right with a very painful stinging on her cheek. She took several breaths to regain herself and then looked back at her interrogator.

"My resources tell me otherwise." Huang informed, his pleasant face gone. "How did you come to know Hu?"

"We met in Japan—" another strike to her cheek, but that time the mafia boss made it a backhanded approach.

"Don't lie to me, girl; same question again."

Koishi glared murderously at her interrogator and said, "What does it matter to you?"

Two strikes to her face was her reward for her back sass. He chuckled low in his throat before he tightly gripped her delicate throat in his hand and gave it a hard squeeze. She coughed as she drew in raspy breaths.

"It is my business because you are my business." Huang said. "Do not anger me more; answer my question truthfully."

After he released her neck, Koishi gratefully inhaled several times before she answered, "Truthfully, we met in Japan."

"Under what circumstances?"

The girl blinked and wondered why Huang was interested in how Enishi and her met. Also, how did he know she was half lying previously?

"Let's try this another way," Huang calmly began. "Is it true that you are merely a virgin who was sold in a private men's gathering?"

Koishi did not mean to give herself and Enishi away, but her eyes widened impossibly just the same, and that gave the interrogator the answer he wanted.

"Answer me."

She opened and closed her mouth several times. When she turned her head away, decided not to answer, she saw a hand raised ready to strike.

"Stop it!" she cried.

"Answer me then." Huang commanded with a smooth tone as if he was not assaulting her.

She still did not answer and the hand, which was poised to strike, started to move and got halfway to her face before she answered, in an outburst sort of way, "Yes!" She regained her composure, even though the man did not lower his hand from her. The horrible man knew anyway, so what was the point in lying? "…Yes, I was a virgin bought at auction, and Hu bought me."

"Hmm," Huang began thoughtfully. "Hu never bought a girl for pleasure, let alone a girl he could keep for as long as he wanted. Now, why would he buy you?"

The girl shook her head, for she had no answer for him, for Enishi, himself, did not give her an answer. The mafia leader stared at her for a while before he decided she told the truth.

"Alright, I believe you." He voiced his thoughts. "Just curious; are you still a virgin?"

Koishi glared at the handsome man, but answered, "Not anymore."

"What a shame." Huang murmured. "Alright, how about this; let's talk about your family."

"I'm not telling you anything about them!" she countered.

"Oh, yes, you are." Huang insisted as he gazed at her and licked his lips.

"Do what you need to do and be done with it." Koishi said bravely, even though it was a mere whisper.

He stopped his hand with a smile, which turned into a chuckle and he informed, "As much as I would love to take you up on your willing offer, I'm afraid I don't perform well in front of crowds."

The young woman gave him a confused look, and in response, Huang indicated behind him with his head. She looked over his shoulder, and there was very large gathering of men on the grass field; at least fifty. Her breath hitched in her throat as she worried if they were all there to kill Enishi. More than likely they were, for they would not be gathered for nothing.

"I'm not asking specific questions, per se." he informed. "Are they very important people?"

"What?"

"You know, are they members of government, working close to Japan's Emperor Meiji?"

Koishi found it very absurd to think such a thing about her family, which consists of her parents, the dojo owners, her older brother, the one to inherit the dojo, her uncle, a former thief, her aunt, a former opium maker, and her other uncle, a former fighter-for-hire.

"They're all regular people." She answered, and even though it was absolutely genuine, the handsome Chinese man stared at her suspiciously.

"The reason I'm asking is because I'm just curious why an onmitsu, a government spy, would come looking for you, specifically."

Her reaction was absolute and believable. Why, indeed, would an onmitsu, or ninja, come all the way to China, looking for her?! How were her parents able to get help from an Emperor's spy?! No wonder Huang thought her parents were important!

"…W-What?" was all she could spurt out.

He stared at her for a moment before he replied, "Remember the Japanese man who was with Ju-Long, during the Dragon Boat Festival?"

She could only numbly nod her head. She remembered him; the man who looked like he was built for speed rather than power.

"He's the onmitsu that was looking for you." The second mafia boss explained. "Of course, he just transferred here to Shanghai, and he thought you were with me. He's rather young and rash, though, and apparently he didn't wait to send notice to his leader, and decided to retrieve you on his own. He ended up trying to retrieve you at my mansion, but you weren't there. I sent him back to Japan, though; I hope he wasn't family to you.

"Any way, it interested Ju-Long and myself to find out that an onmitsu came seeking you, so we figured you must be worth quite a bit. We had our confirmation when you played the erhu; only very rich families can afford lessons for that instrument in Japan."

"…An onmitsu…" Koishi choked out.

Huang nodded and explained, "Well, it's not a surprise, really, that you wouldn't know. After all, if children were born to an onmitsu family, even they wouldn't know their families are spies until the proper age. Maybe your family are onmitsu."

Koishi scoffed and denied, "That's impossible; my father is not an onmitsu. He was an orphan boy from a poor farming village, and then he was adopted by a sake-loving mountain man, whose career is pottery."

"There's nothing else out of ordinary about your family?" Huang pressed.

"Well, they do tend to take in society rejects…"

"That's a classic symbol of onmitsu."

Koishi's mouth fell open as shock overtook her. There was no way her family were spies, right? It would actually explain a few things about them, though, for onmitsu were known for taking in orphans, or people who just did not have a place among society, and they would teach them a trade. The dojo…maybe it was all a cover.

"I can see I gave you much to consider." The man noted. "Well, I must take my leave; places to go, people to see. Just wait here for Hu to come."

As if she had a choice… "He won't come for me." she said with deep sadness, but with utmost confidence.

"He will." Huang reassured.

"No, he won't come for me, just like he never came for your wife."

Huang was silent for a period of moments before he finally answered, "Hu is a very cautious man, but when there is something he cherishes, or even cares about, in the slightest, he becomes like fire; and he will come, blazing, to defend that cherished one."

Koishi looked at Huang with confusion.

"Hu never had anyone that he cherishes." She simply stated. "You're describing a completely different man than the one we're talking about."

"Did you know Hu had a sister?"

She stilled, and her heart raced with anxiety. How did he know about that?! Did Enishi know about Huang's lengthy knowledge of him?!

Huang took Koishi's silence as a confirmation and he explained, "When Hu was one of the leaders of a mafia group, there was a second leader, Woo Heishin, whom is currently serving a life sentence in a Japanese prison. That man, Woo, informed us all about Hu and his extensive plot of revenge against a man the Japanese call 'Battousai.' That particular mafia group was dragged through the brink of bankruptcy because of Hu's love for his sister, and the thirst to avenge her. It was said that he fought with that fiery protection for his sister against the man he hated with his whole soul."

Koishi blinked at that story. She had only seen glimpses of the young man Enishi used to be, as if that same young man were still in the deep corners of his soul, fighting to come out, and he only needed a trigger to set that young man free.

"His sister, however, has long since died," Huang continued. "So he cannot fight with a fire needed to protect. He is a man only of destruction, and he can only destroy."

"So, what do you need me for?" she asked again.

"To draw him out. We know he is quite possessive of you, so he will come to take back what belongs to him; but he doesn't love you."

Even though Koishi kept her face straight, inwardly, it hurt her greatly, deeply to hear those words. Enishi never said words of endearment, or words of love. She just accepted it as being part of him, for Japanese men were never good at expressions of love, endearment, and passion the way other cultures were. Still, there was always that nagging doubt inside her, even when they made love it was always there; and to hear those words from Huang was like a wasp stung her heart.

"Not to worry, Koishi." The Chinese man comforted. "I know you don't have feelings for me, but once Hu is dead, I will take good care of you."

He turned and walked away, and she sniffed, not realizing there were salty tears soaking her cheeks.

"He won't come for me." Koishi whispered.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Enishi was never close to anyone, except his sister, Tomoe. It was not in his nature to allow anyone to stay close to him, and he found himself inwardly surprised that he cared about the fate of Koishi.

After he received the "invitation" from one of Ju-Long's employees, Enishi stayed rooted to the ground for a moment. As his mind started to register that his biggest rival had possession of the girl, his body started to grow with all-consuming anger. His body underwent an instant transformation that had not happened in seventeen years. "Veins" started to pop out from his skin, his senses heightened, and his entire body became hypersensitive to everything.

Koishi belonged to him! She was his alone, and he would take back what rightfully belonged to him!

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Koishi sighed with an "I told you so" underlining it as a complete hour dragged on. A total of fifty men, employed by Ju-Long, sat on the grassy field and took in the warm spring sun.

The girl, however, remained tied to the jujube tree, and her arms were passed the point of aching; they were completely numb. Although she tried to move her limbs every moment she could stand it, the ropes did not give her much slack.

Huang had long since left when the other men made their appearance, and they surveyed the field. Ju-Long finally made his appearance as he walked towards the captive girl and stopped directly in front of her. He stared at her for a brief moment, hoisted her up to her feet by moving the ropes behind her so she stood on her feet, and tightened them more so she remained standing.

Koishi gave a short hiss of pain when the ropes were tightened around her. They stung the skin on her wrists terribly, despite the numbness of her arms. This was her first time seeing Ju-Long up close. His face was still the same roundness, short nose, large, dark eyes, and same short braided hair.

He was not handsome, but he did not look bad, either.

"I own this orchard." Ju-Long stated as he looked at his fruit trees. "It's one of my legitimate businesses."

"It's lovely." Koishi simply complemented.

Ju-Long looked back at his captive, and she suddenly had her face snapped to the right, her cheek stung badly. It took her a moment to finally be able to breathe again. She made a quick glance and saw not one man bothered to look her way. She was very sure that slap across her face was loud; the sound of it was still ringing in her ears! Damn it; do all men know how to slap a woman?!

"Do not pretend you have etiquette, girl." The mafia leader warned. "When I ask you a question, you answer." He motion behind him with his head. "These men behind me would love to feel a young woman's warmth, and if you speak out of turn again, I'll let them ravage you until you die."

Koishi had no doubt that Ju-Long would do just what he said he would, so she remained silent. The ringleader straightened himself up, and he was once again professional.

Suddenly, an extreme shift of the atmosphere around them changed from relaxed to very tense and on guard. The duo heard the men rise to their feet, and they both looked out in the distance.

Although he was quite a distance away, Koishi could see a very different Enishi than the one she knew. There were "veins" that were out of his skin, all over his body. He wore an orange kung fu suit and he carried his watou in his hand. His demeanor was calm and confident, but extremely cold in his gaze as he surveyed the grassy field and rested his eyes on Ju-Long.

Koishi shivered, but Enishi made no indication that she was there, nor did he even gaze at her. Ju-Long seemed unfazed by the cold, cutting glare from his biggest rival and he simply gave a command to his fifty men.

A group of five men attacked first with their Chinese war swords all at the ready to make a gutted pig of the white-haired man. Koishi watched breathlessly as Enishi unsheathed his sword, dropped the sheathe to the ground, crouched like a tiger, slashed his Tachi upward, and spun around like a wild cyclone.

All five men dropped to the ground, slashed to shreds.

The girl could only compare that technique to a tiger ripping apart its prey. What was noteworthy was the incredible speed Enishi had when he used that technique; the similar speed to a young man.

Another group of ten men rushed the tiger-man with their Chinese war swords. Enishi quickly retrieved his sheathe, threw his cloak off himself towards five of the men, temporarily blinding them, and all the self-trained swordsman had to do was a single slash at their abdomens and they were on the ground with their entrails.

The same fate awaited the other five men left with a simple senran tousei.

Understandably, the group of ten men were hesitant to face this superior opponent, but with a screaming command from Ju-Long, the remaining men rushed Enishi, only to face his undefeatable senran tousei, the same fates as the other fallen men.

The remaining twenty men rushed at once. This time, Enishi had more difficulty with killing a high number of men. Still, yet another senran tousei caused ten men to fall. The other ten men he brought down with a slash of his watou; left and right, in front of him, and behind. After all the men fell, not a single wound could be seen on the white-haired man.

Enishi calmly stood up on his feet with his tachi in one hand. He brought his fingers up to the rim of his glasses and pushed them back up.

"I'm disappointed in you, Ju-Long." He calmly stated. "You've underestimated me to a level of insult."

Ju-Long tsk-ed his fury at all fifty men, whom were killed in a matter of minutes. He, himself, would have to handle his rival.

"I'm disappointed that you came, Hu." The boss said. "You're too soft, saving this girl."

"I came here to kill you." Enishi corrected. "You destroyed my property and stole my woman, so it's only fitting to have your head on my sword."

Ju-Long smirked arrogantly as he unsheathed his own Chinese war sword.

"You and this girl are thorns in my side; it's only fitting that a Japanese should die by a Chinese blade." He said.

Both men took their own stances and Koishi observed them with a pounding heart; anxiety for the fate of Enishi's life flowed through her.

Ju-Long took the stance of holding his sword above his head, standing on one leg while he pulled the right leg up and bent at the knee.

Enishi took his stance of feet apart, and holding his sword in his left hand with the blade in an upward position, his sheathe discarded on the ground.

Koishi frowned, for that meant that he was wide open for attack. Both men stared each other down as they waited for the other to attack. Finally, Enishi raised an eyebrow and knew he would have to attack first.

He did the most unexpected thing; he threw his tachi in front of him so the blade stuck upright in the ground. Ju-Long took the opportunity to rush Enishi, his sword out, and at the last moment, Enishi jumped, stepped on the pommel of his watou, jumped again, grabbed the red tassels, and in midair, pulled it out of the ground.

He turned, midair, and brought his tachi upward like a whip. Ju-Long sensed it, he turned, and blocked the tachi with his sword; sparks flew from the medals' contact.

Enishi grabbed his tachi by the handle, landed, and swung his tachi. They fought for a while, medal clashed, sparks flew, but neither one could gain the upper hand.

Finally, both men ceased a moment to breathe. Enishi rested his watou blade on his shoulder and used his other hand to place two fingers to the rim of his glasses, and he pushed them back up the bridge of his nose.

Enishi moved first, and he held out his watou blade horizontally in front of him, one hand on the handle, and the other hand on the blade. He waited for Ju-Long to make his move.

The rivaled leader flexed his legs down, almost low to the ground and he held his Chinese war sword above him. He did not rush to attack.

"Is that all you can do?" Enishi interjected. "Wait for me to attack? You have no courage to come at me yourself?"

Ju-Long sneered at his rival's jeering, got to his feet, and rushed in attack. Enishi smirked, swung his tachi blade out, and delivered a swift kick to the back edge of the blade; shugeki tousei. The mafia leader jumped back, and the blade missed his neck by a mere hair's breath.

The ki from the attack, however, caught Ju-Long's skin, and it gave him a cut on his throat. A tiny stream of blood leaked out and then stopped.

"Let's finish this!" Ju-Long screamed as his temper rose.

"Yes, let's." Enishi agreed with great calm.

_Enishi…_ a long forgotten Koishi whispered in her mind. It was both amazing and terrifying to see her lover in a swordfight that was different than the time he fought the unknown Chinese man. He was so graceful, like a stalking tiger, and yet so dangerous.

Ju-Long rushed towards his rival, and Enishi thrust his tachi to jab his rival, only to have it blocked, and worse, the watou was flung out of his grip. The sword whirled around in the air and sliced deep into the jujube tree, millimeters above Koishi's head. She jumped and slowly looked at the sword above her; the blade almost had her name on it.

Enishi, without a weapon, slid low to the ground, and swatted Ju-Long's leg with the heel of his Western shoe; hard. Ju-Long fell to the ground for an instant, but that was all the tiger needed.

While Ju-Long had his Chinese war sword in his hand, Enishi delivered a swift kick to his rival's wrist, belonging to the hand that held the sword, and his wrist snapped back, causing him to lose his sword.

Faster than a normal person, Enishi retrieved his tachi, and stood over his rivaled enemy. He raised his sword to strike true; the nerves all over his body were tenser than they had been in many years.

"Stop!"

It was as if the young woman's voice made the white-haired man into a statue, with his sword raised and almost inches from Ju-Long's throat. Blue topaz eyes slowly glanced at her from his profiled face, and his eyebrows narrowed as he slowly turned his face to meet her.

"What?" he asked for clarification.

"Please, don't kill him, Enishi." Koishi begged from her tied position only a few feet away.

As an answer, the third mafia boss moved his tachi blade from Ju-Long's throat to the young woman's throat within the blink of an eye; the razor-sharp tip a mere half inch away. His eyes narrowed dangerously at her, his lips pulled back into a vicious snarl, and the "veins" over his body became impossibly more prominent.

"You would give your life for him?" Enishi accused in a low, dangerous voice, spoken through clinched teeth.

"Not for him!" Koishi answered with all sincerity. In a softer voice, she whispered, "Get out of the darkness and come back to me, Enishi."

They stared at one another as the seconds ticked by, until he finally relented and put his sword down. He did, however, glare at Ju-Long as the Chinese man got to his feet, and informed, "She just saved your life."

Ju-Long looked from his enemy, to Koishi, and back again before he turned tail and made a run. After the mafia boss was out of sight, it took Enishi a few minutes to finally calm himself down enough to calmly walk over to Koishi and cut the binding ropes in one swing.

The blood suddenly flowed again through her arms and caused her to hiss in pain as the sensitivity came back to her.

Koishi winced deeply when she had to pry the rope off her wrists; the rough cords caused her skin to bleed as she slowly pulled them off as if ripping off a layer of skin.

Finally, their eyes met; blue topaz eyes met mysterious duo colored eyes. They stared at each other for a period of moments.

All Koishi could say was, "Thank you for saving me."

Enishi only nodded once, and reminded, "Aijaku."

_To Be Continued…_

**AN**: Is this one short again? Okay, tomorrow, I'll post another chapter (Enishi and Koishi go back to Japan).


	17. Chapter 17

**AN**: Warning, this chapter contains a lemon, even though I think I emphasized how much Enishi and Koishi carry on like rabbits, I just wanted to give a warning. As always, I will tell you when the lemon will begin and when it will end so you may skip it, if so desired.

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 17_

Koishi looked over her cloth sack to double check she had everything she needed; several women's changshang, and of course, the hair décor that Enishi gave to her as a gift.

A few days after Enishi rescued her, he informed her they had to make that trip to Japan, the one he mentioned to her before the hard winter came, for he had business to settle with Yamataro.

After she heard that, Koishi inwardly became excited to see her birth country again, to hear the language from someone other than Enishi, and to eat the food again. Her mouth began to water at the thought of sukiyaki, and she hoped they would stop in Tokyo, the one place where sukiyaki was the best.

She even admitted to herself that she would love a bowl of hot miso soup, if that was all they were to eat. She smiled widely at her traveling cloth sack and tied it up, ready to go.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"I thought you were going to leave the girl here." Feng reminded as him and Enishi stood outside at the front of the mansion.

"A change of plans." Enishi explained, his watou in a rucksack over his shoulder, and a suitcase in his other hand. "I spared Ju-Long's life because of her; she has become too much of a liability. She will not be returning back to China with me."

Feng stared at his business partner's cold face. They both knew very well that once one enters the Chinese crime organizations, there is no leaving it alive; women included.

"I don't agree with this, Hu, but I won't go against your decision. May I suggest that killing the girl here would be better; no one would look for the killer of some unknown Japanese girl."

"I threatened Ju-Long's life." Enishi explained. "While I haven't been arrested, I know I am being watched while I'm here. They would look for any excuse to get me executed, even using an unknown, dead Japanese girl against me."

"I understand what you're saying, but…are you, in a way, showing mercy?"

Enishi stared coldly at Feng.

"What I mean," Feng clarified. "Are you showing mercy for the girl by taking her to her home country to see it one last time before you kill her?"

"We're not going to tour the country, and I'm not letting her go. You know the code we have."

Feng nodded solemnly and looked at the ground with regret.

"Do you want to have mercy on her?" Enishi sneered.

"No," Feng replied. "It's just too bad for that girl."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The pair waited on the dock for the signal for passengers to board the ship that would take them to Japan. Behind them, the marketplace was still as crowded as cart owners would shout their merchandise and their prices.

Koishi noticed Enishi's eyes were turned towards one jujube fruit cart. She watched him, curiously, as he calmly walked over to the cart and paid for one fruit. No one would have noticed it, except the young woman; the white-haired man placed one hand behind him and used a finger to tip a jujube over and off the cart.

As soon as the fruit hit the ground, a small pair of hands grabbed it faster than one could blink. Under the cart, Koishi could see a small, scrawny child, more bones than skin under the wooden cart, and the boy ate the fruit like a ravenous vulture in the Sahara desert.

Enishi came back with the fruit as if nothing had fazed him, and took a bite of the fruit. He held it out to Koishi, which she accepted and took a bite. Finally, the whistle sounded once and the passengers were able to board the ship.

The room that they had was smaller than the room they shared when they made the journey to China a year ago. Then again, the previous room had two bunk beds. The room they now had held just one single bed.

As soon as they were settled in, Koishi turned to her lover and said, "You're such a good person, Enishi."

He blinked at her and allowed himself to show a "are you serious" face as he said, "I'm wondering if you have been watching me this past year, because I don't think I've done anything to be 'a good person.'"

"Yes, you have." She insisted. "Most of the time you saved me. Recently, you gave food to a starving child."

"The boy will soon be dead give or take a few weeks." He replied emotionlessly.

"Despite whatever his fate will be, you still helped him and that counts."

He could say nothing in retort, but Enishi finally asked her, "Are you happy to go back to Japan?"

"Of course." She answered. "Do you think we can enjoy some sukiyaki before we leave again?"

Enishi glanced at Koishi for a brief moment, his face completely void of all emotions.

"Just please promise me we'll enjoy some good sukiyaki together, ne?" she requested.

"I don't know where, in Yokohama, to get good sukiyaki."

"The best sukiyaki is in Tokyo."

Enishi snorted and replied, "I prefer to avoid Edo."

"Doushite?"

"There's a man that lives there and I don't want to see his face."

"Tokyo is a very large place; not as large as Kyoto, but it is still impressive. You might not see whatever man you're avoiding."

"I will still avoid Edo no matter what."

"Then sukiyaki from Yokohama it is." She relented.

They arrived in Yokohama, and Koishi smiled widely when they got off the docked ship. She followed Enishi closely and glanced at the open market's merchandise carts with interest. She heard the buzzing of conversation, this time in the Japanese language. She smiled to herself when she heard the familiar words, and she could understand what was being spoken. It just tickled her ears to hear her native language again.

It was strange to her when people glanced at her, but then she realized it was probably because she was wearing a woman's changshan suit; of course she would look a bit out of place. It was not uncommon to see Chinese people in Yokohama, but that did not stop the natives from casting curious looks.

When they got to the inn, Koishi waited for Enishi to finish talking to the inn owners; two middle aged women, more than likely twins, for they looked like mirror images of each other. She looked at a vendor behind her, towards the entrance, that sold teriyaki on a stick, and her mouth watered.

She did not have time to go pay for a teriyaki stick, however, for Enishi had already finished business with the twin women. She bowed politely to the inn owners and followed her companion to the room.

The twins, Gin and Kin, looked at each other when they saw the young woman following the mysterious gentleman.

It was a simple, small building, probably privately owned. The building was only a single story with a wooden Japanese-style fence surrounding it. There were only a few rooms, and by the look of things, they were currently the only occupants, save for the two owners. The good thing about it was it was very close to the docked ships.

They got to the room and she looked at the simple Japanese room, and she smiled at familiar architects. The tatami floors, the two futons folded neatly by the window, and the shouji door, which was the only entrance and exit. She quickly took off her Chinese cloth shoes, and untied her traveling sack to get certain articles of clothing out.

She hissed quietly when some cloth scrapped across her wrist, and she looked down and saw the rope marks had not started healing at all the past five days. In fact, her wrists looked raw and a dark red. She should see a doctor about her wounds, and soon.

Koishi moved at a very slow pace, for she had to stretch out her tasks as much as possible to avoid boredom. By the time she finished, the sun had already set, and it casted deep red hues in the sky, and turned the sea into blood.

"The innkeeper is not in the building." Enishi stated after Koishi unpacked their few items. "So if you want to bathe, do it quickly; it's to the furthest end of the engawa and to your immediate right."

Koishi nodded, quickly gathered her bathing items, and went over to the public bathhouse to bathe. Afterwards, she quickly went up to the room, and she saw Enishi had used to men's bathhouse, and was drying his white hair with his towel in the middle of the room. She set her items down, dragged both futons out to the middle of the room, and spread them both out.

She laid down on the futon a bit too hard, temporarily forgetting that the futon was just a thin cushion on the tatami floors. She bit her lower lip in pain and rubbed her shoulder while Enishi chortled.

She glared at him before she asked, "How long are we here for?"

"Just a few days." He answered with his usual low voice.

"Such a long journey for just a few days." Koishi noted.

"Yes," Enishi agreed as he pulled her into his arms. "Quite short."

O~O~O~O~O

He left the inn a second time, and left the girl up in their room as well, and went to meet Yamataro. It was two nights before they had to leave for China, or rather, he had to leave for China.

Of course, Yamataro would only meet with him in a public place in fear of his watou. His inwardly rolled his eyes at the thought of such absurdity, but he would not put it past himself to kill the bastard if he got the chance.

Perhaps Yamataro's paranoia was well placed.

Enishi rounded the corner of the next building and came to the noodle shop where he was to meet the corrupt politician. He saw him as he calmly sat and ate a bowl of miso soup. Yamataro had taken to the popularity of moustaches and beards, for he had both; thick but trimmed. His hair was also clean cut and ebony in color.

The man's eyes were almond-shaped and very dark brown. He always wore the fashionable Western suits for men, and always had his shiny Western shoes on.

Enishi also noticed a young woman sitting on the bench next to the corrupt politician. She was young; about Koishi's age and she sat on the opposite side of the table the politician sat at. Her body was completely stiff and she stared at nothing; eyes completely blank.

Yamataro's four men looked about for any signs of trouble, and one saw the white-haired man. He leaned over to whisper to his boss, and the boss nodded once. The guard motioned Enishi to come forward with a wave of his hand like he was summoning a dog.

Blue topaz eyes glared at the posy, but he made his way to the corrupt politician as the man finished his miso soup, wiped his beard and moustache with a personal handkerchief, and turned to face his guest.

"Ah, Enishi-san." Yamataro greeted with a smile as he stood up. "How are you, my friend?"

It irked Enishi to be called a "friend" when he knew full well that the person never meant it, and he, himself, was so easily disposable. Still, he supposed he was no better for he smirked and nodded towards the man.

"I have been fine." He answered. "How're you?"

Yamataro's eyes lit up and he motioned towards the stiff girl still sitting on the bench; he said, "I bought her at the same place you bought that other girl."

Enishi glanced, uninterested, at the girl who kept her head down and he tried not to feel sympathetic for her.

"Does she have as much fight as mine did?" he asked.

The bearded man chuckled and said, "She _had_ some spirit, but she's well-behaved now. How is your girl?"

Enishi stiffened, but answered, "She's fine."

"Oi," the politician offered. "I'll let you taste my girl, if you let me taste yours." He chuckled at the end of his request with a hardly pat on the white-haired man's back.

Again, the mafia boss stiffened, but sarcastically declined, "As tempting as that sounds, I would have to say no."

Yamataro remained ignorant to Enishi's underlining sarcasm as he laughed again but changed subjects.

"I heard you have some politicians in Shanghai to buy my business." He started.

"I had to offer an official the opportunity, seeing as how the other one I wanted to conduct business with was in alliance with two different people."

"Oh, that's unfortunate." Yamataro said without very much sympathy. "Will you do me this one great favor?"

"You need me to transport some goods and sell them in China."

The politician got out an innocent looking suitcase and opened it up. It appeared to be empty, but he took out the lining around it and smiled at his business partner.

"This is just a start." He explained. "And it will earn you a few extra."

Enishi hated being a mule for an illicit drug ring, but to continue to conduct business with the man, he had no choice. So, he simply nodded once and the bearded man smiled his happiness as he handed over a large stack of Yen.

"Maybe you should buy yourself another girl with that money." Yamataro suggested as he laughed.

"The one I have is too much to handle." The white-haired man replied with half-truth.

"Well, if you want, you could give her to me." the corrupt politician offered.

"No, I'm getting rid of her." Enishi stated, and he earned a glare from the stiff human statue on the bench.

Yamataro tsk-ed and said, "If you kill her with a sword, there would be too much investigation." He reached into his coat pocket and took out a neatly folded cloth and handed it to his partner. "This is a much easier, cleaner way that won't create too much attention."

Enishi opened up the cloth and instantly recognized the pressed and dried dark colored, taffy-like substance; opium.

"Put it in some liquid and give it to her to drink." Yamataro continued to explain. "After four cups, she should be good and dead."

The mafia boss folded it back up and put it away in his suit with a single nod. He would not go as low as to kill Koishi with opium; no, he had more nerve than that. A sword was all that was needed to get rid of her, for that would be more merciful than opium.

The meeting was over and Enishi went back to the inn. He saw Koishi writing on the paper he bought her with the haiku book opened. She smiled up at him when he entered and put her things away.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Koishi laid flat on her back, exhausted from their excursions, in a deep sleep. Enishi, however, was wide awake; his mind in turmoil. He watched her small, but firm, breasts rise with a steady rhythm to her breathing, her light-colored skin almost glowing with an ether glow from the moon. Enishi's hand shook as he watched Koishi sleep with ease; unbeknownst to her that a tiger was about to strike and she would be dead in seconds as he tapped the sheathe of his watou, which was across his lap.

Why did he have to get rid of her?! He already claimed her as his, and his alone, so he did not have to be the one to forfeit that claim!

She belonged to him.

Enishi set his watou aside, lay down close to Koishi, and settled into a fitful night's sleep.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"Too bad we couldn't enjoy some good sukiyaki together." Koishi tsk-ed as she packed up both their items to leave Japan. They were to set sail in the morning. "We'll eat sukiyaki together another time, ne, Enishi?"

"…Aa."

"Doushitano?" she inquired. "You haven't been the same since yesterday."

"Koishi," Enishi started, his face looked haunted. "I'm not supposed to return to China with you."

"What?" she asked with understandable confusion.

"In the crime ring I'm in, no one can get out alive. To get out, you have to give up your life; that's the only way."

"Are…Are you going to kill me?" Koishi asked, her face frightened.

"I tried that," Enishi answered honestly and earned a flinch from his lover. "I couldn't do it."

"Then…what do we do?" she almost hesitated to ask. Enishi shook his head, for he himself had no answer. Koishi then began, "Let's not go back then."

"What?" he asked her, as if questioning her sanity.

"Let's not go back." She repeated, only with much more vigor, as if she had the best idea. "We both leave the Shanghai mafia and live in Tokyo."

"Why Edo?"

"That's where I'm from. We can stay there and never have to return to China. My family lives there, and I'm sure they'll take you in."

"Me? Really?" he asked, skeptically.

"Don't have that attitude, Enishi." Koishi half scolded. "My family has a habit of 'adopting' people society thinks are unworthy. They'll take to you with no problem, I'm sure."

What she said sounded really tempting, for a family is something he lost and had not had in a really long time; but he continued, "I'll give you a choice, Koishi; if you want to come with me, I will fight the organization for my right to keep you; or, if you want to go home, back to your family, I'll take you there."

Different emotions flowed though Koishi; the excitement and anticipation to see her family and friends again. Then, as soon as the excitement ebbed away, she realized one notion.

"What about—"

"I will be gone." Enishi stated, his face void of all emotion. "You will never see me again, and I won't seek you out. Just a few things I should warn you about; under any circumstances, **never** mention where you were, the names of the people you were with; **nothing**. Your life and the lives of those you care about depend on you following those instructions."

"But—" she started to protest.

"It would be better that way. Now, what do you choose?"

Koishi paused to gather her thoughts; the notion of no Enishi in her life was more than she could bear, so she lifted her head and smiled up at him. With utmost confidence, she said, "I choose to go with you."

An unimaginable emotion crossed Enishi's face, an emotion as obvious as the sun in the sky, and Koishi's eyes widened with amazement at the smile he produced. Her mouth fell open as she stared at the man in front of her.

Enishi leaned down and, ever so gently, kissed her full on the mouth. It was amazing, exhilarating, more than all the times they coupled; it was love.

He pulled back in an instant, placed his hands on the side of her face, still with a smile, and agreed, "Tomorrow, we'll go to Edo together."

Yukishiro Enishi thought, if he gave Koishi an ultimatum, a choice, to go back to her family, her original life, or go with him, then he would not have to live with the guilt of leaving her in Japan. The other guilt would have been bringing her back to China and live a dangerous life with him in the mafia, basically ruining her.

His original plan of bringing her to Japan and killing her there had failed, for the only way out of the mafia is to give your own life. That was the only way to get her out of that dangerous lifestyle; but he could not bring himself to kill her, to end her life.

So, Enishi gave her a choice; her family, or him. He was so sure, so certain, she would have chosen her family that her answer took him by complete surprise.

"I choose to go with you."

Never before, in his whole life, had he felt so much happiness. There was a woman in the world who had loved him so completely, so truly, that she had chosen him over her family. Even his own sister had chosen her vengeance for the man she loved over him, her own brother. He had begged her not to go to Kyoto, just to stay in Edo with him, and they would be happy together, just the two of them. No, she chose to avenge her slain fiancée.

Koishi had chosen him.

For the first time, he was first place in a person's heart, and the knowledge of that warmed him to the core and he smiled; a warm, true smile that he never had worn on his face before. Her life would still be in danger because of him, even if they hide away in Edo, they would be hunted, and he had to make a decision.

To protect Koishi, he would take up his watou once more and walk the darkness one last time before he returned for her. The problem with his plan was, Enishi could not tell his lover of his plan, for she would beg him not to, and he would listen, so he would have to leave her behind.

She turned around to prepare for sleep, and he noticed she sat, seiza position, on her futon. Her ebony-black hair was pulled to the side and exposed her creamy neck to his lustful eyes. The back of her neck looked familiar to him, but he did not dwell on it as he licked his lips and sat down behind her.

**(LEMON STARTS HERE!)**

Enishi untied her obi and it loosened her sleeping robe. He reached in front of Koishi, grabbed her yukata robe on both ends and brought it down her shoulders, where he gathered the material and tossed it aside. She shivered both from the cool air caressing her naked skin, and from excitement. It never took much to get her in the mood, for she was young and had a very healthy libido.

"Usagi-chan…" Enishi whispered as he placed light kisses on the back of her neck, working his way over to her shoulder. "Watashi no Usagi-chan." (My little rabbit)

"...Enishi…" Koishi breathed and she sighed from arousal. It grew increasingly harder for her to think as he moved his hands over her, so before she lost all thought, she pointed out, "Your appetite can be compared to a man in his twenties; so who's the rabbit now?"

"You never denied me." He responded with a masculine smirk before he gently nudged the side her face with the top of his head. In response, she tilted her head away from him to allow him access, and he suckled on her neck; not hard, but not soft either, as he rolled his tongue over that point. "I never denied you, either."

"We…" she tried to say through the fog growing in her mind. "We have…big appetites…"

Enishi promptly grabbed Koishi by the waist and pressed her hips to his. She gasped when their passions brushed against each other even though they did not unite.

He leaned over her and whispered in her ear, "I only have a big appetite for you."

He sat back up and moved his fingertips over her back, causing her to sigh in arousal again; it was not a soft touch, but it did not hurt, either. No matter how rough he was as times, he never caused her pain; he never lost control.

"And you, my sweet rabbit?" he prompted.

"My craving is only for you." She answered as she gyrated her hips against him in hopes he would satisfy her growing need. "I swear it."

He leaned over her again, without putting his weight on her, and licked her back, the spot between the shoulder blades. She groaned from his teasing and she was to the point where she would beg for it.

"Please, Enishi." She gave in like a little wanton.

He grabbed her hips again, and turned her around. She lay there with her legs splayed before him to do with her as he wished. It was true what she said; she had an insatiable craving, but only for him, for only he could quench her thirst.

Enishi again grabbed her by her waist, only he lifted her up as he sat, and he positioned her so she straddled him. He moved her so their passions connected, but still they did not unite.

"Sit." He commanded with topaz-blue eyes clouded over with want, but still he never lost control.

Koishi blinked, but she sat just as he told her, and finally, he filled her passion as her legs bent upright, to which she could not help but throw her head back with a moan. Enishi ravaged her exposed neck, tasting her, which was a taste that was purely her own. It was unique and exquisite, a taste he could not get enough of, and he had tasted it everywhere; her neck, her breasts, and her flower's nectar.

He continued to taste her neck, that sweet taste that could only satisfy him as she bounced on his lap. He then watched her as she moved, and he always loved to watch her. She responded to every touch, every kiss, and every taste like no other had. They knew every inch of each other and they never grew bored from it.

He flipped them over yet again and held her tightly to him as he thrust with a great hunger, a great need. He loved to hear her moan his name in a begging way; it was like a most desirable dessert. He tasted the small beads of excursion developing on her body and he marveled at it; like tasting a forbidden fruit.

"Please…" his rabbit begged him with her sweet voice, which was sweeter than honey. "Enishi…"

And he obliged her, sweeping them both away in the current of pleasure, towards their releases, out to that ocean of satisfaction. She begged him not to stop as she held onto him as an anchor as she was swept away. Still, he held her as he was also carried away to that same place she was at, and he believed that he could go to the seventh circle of hell, but he would not care; he had already tasted Nirvana.

Yes, they both had an appetite which only the other could fulfill, and they loved to partake in the feast of their intimacy; to touch, thrust, and taste each other, and indeed, it was always delicious.

**(LEMON ENDS HERE!)**

The sun had barely made it up the horizon when Enishi woke and rose from the futon. He turned and looked down at the still sleeping Koishi and he stared at her. He studied every feature; her long ebony hair, her long, long eyelashes, her soft lips, opened just a bit during sleep, and her scent of cherry blossoms.

She would go back to Edo and live her life without him once again. He could only hope she would forgive him for what he was about to do, to leave her behind, and hope that she would take him back again.

"One last time, Koishi." Enishi whispered to her, even though she continued to sleep. "One last time, and I swear, after everything is done, I'll come back for you."

Before he left, he asked Kin, one of the inn owners, if she could escort Koishi back home, just to make sure she did not get in trouble, since trouble always seemed to find her. The innkeeper agreed, and Enishi placed the dark lensed spectacles on his face, and gave into the dark side within himself.

Mercy was for the weak; therefore he would no longer be merciful. It was because he had been weakened that he could no longer keep the girl. And he sank down, down, down into the deep darkness where not even his sister's smile could save him…

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O (what happened after Enishi left…)

Koishi groaned when the sun came shining through the window, she threw the futon blanket over her head just as memories from the previous night came to her mind. She giggled to herself and reached over to where her sleeping lover would be, only to discover his spot was vacant and cold. She quickly sat up and stared down at the spot he would have occupied.

Did he go somewhere?

They had to leave for China that morning, so it was not possible he left for business. She looked at the window, at the position of the sun, and realized it was later than she thought. Did they miss the ship? She quickly got her changshan on with her cloth shoes and grabbed her traveling sack. As fast as she could, she ran out of the inn and to the docks, but stopped short.

Koishi stared at the empty spot where the ship would have been, but was no longer there. Her hands shook, even as she gripped her traveling sack in her hand as the salty wind blew her ebony tresses about. She stood, rooted to the ground, for there was no denying the blatant truth before her eyes.

Enishi left her behind.

Her bottom lip trembled as she swallowed hard; warm, salty tears rolled down her face and she sniffed. It was not possible; he would not leave her behind. Half of her mind did not process it, while the other half knew the truth.

"Koishi?"

The young woman turned to see one of the inn owners, Kin, standing next to her. The older woman's eyes were sympathetic, full of pity as she looked the girl over.

"You're Koishi, right?"

The young woman sniffed, but silently nodded her answer to confirm the woman's question.

"I'm supposed to escort you home."

Home…. For some strange reason, when she heard the word "home," her mind's eye saw the mansion in Shanghai, with hakubaiku trees standing like soldiers beside the dirt path.

Koishi nodded and said, "I'll go home now."

"Oh, but I'm supposed to escort you—"

"It's just up the road." The young woman lied. "I can make it from here." She quickly bowed, tightened her grip on her traveling sack, turned, and walked the dirt path towards Tokyo…

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Winter in Tokyo had ebbed away and the city was abuzz with excitement that the Sakura festivals would soon start. The marketplace had many people buying new kimonos, if they were women, and men were buying new hakama.

Himura Kenshin stared at his wife, Kaoru, from a short distance, as she looked, uninterested, at all the items available. It was uncharacteristic for her to not be excited for the Sakura festivals, as she always bought a new kimono for the festival. He tried to make her happy the past year, and even suggested she bought a new kimono for the picnic, but she just stared sadly at the fabrics.

It was not as if Kaoru was doing it on purpose, for she tried to pick herself up and continue on with life, but she just could not stop thinking; could not stop wondering. Kaoru's sadness made Kenshin feel like such a failure, even though everyone, Kaoru included, told him he did all he could possibly do. Still, he could not help but feel he should have done more.

For the Hanami picnic, Megumi came back from Aizu, which she often thought of making Tokyo her permanent residence since her family no longer occupied her hometown. Sano, who had his name cleared nearly fifteen years ago, also came back from his travels. It was as though every one of their friends wanted to settle down in Tokyo.

Yahiko had married Tsubame fifteen years ago, and they had a son, Shinya, who was a regular at the dojo, and a friend to Kenji; even though the two boys would rival one another in their kenjitsu skills.

Kenshin tapped the hilt of his sakabatou at his waist. Even though he had given up his original sakabatou to Yahiko (and then the same sword was passed on to Kenji later), the old patriot just felt out of place without the weight of a sword at his side. Even though Hiten Mitsuryugi Ryu was useless to him now, he felt better with the old weight at his side.

"Ne, Otottsuan," his son, Kenji, started. "Okkasan has just been staring at the clothes. Maybe we should just try to cheer her up another way." (Otottsuan = dad; Okkasan = mom)

Kenshin glanced at his now adult son; the young man looked exactly like him, but the former Ishin Shishi was grateful that he did not grow up to be like him. He guessed that Kaoru had a big influence in that, and he was forever indebted to his wife for helping him through the difficult teenager years.

The older man once again looked back at his wife with sad, guilt-ridden violet eyes. The evening was getting later, and Kaoru still had not made any progress in making a single purchase. The past year had been difficult on the three of them, and if it was not for the help and support of their friends, Kenshin was sure that they would not have made it this far. Although, he greatly credited his son for being the strong one in the situation.

He shook his head to himself and walked up to his wife. He touched her on the shoulder and she turned and looked at him with apologetic eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kenshin, I just—"

"It's fine, Kaoru." He reassured. "Let's just go home before our son gets irritated with us, that he will."

He knew she was trying, and he did not expect her to just forget. Megumi had said the first two years would be the worst. As the trio started their trek home, Kenshin could not imagine living another year like this. He was not a religious man, and he did have a level of respect for the gods, but as of late, he had just been praying for something; anything.

Maybe the fates were punishing him for his past sins. Many times, during the Bakumatsu, families would wait for any word from their loved ones fighting in Kyoto, but years would pass with no word, so the families were left with nothing but memories and scenarios. Now he really knew what it was like to be unable to do anything but wait for something; and it was excruciating.

"Kenshin," Kaoru started. "It's getting late and I don't want to start cooking now."

"Oh, thank the gods!" Kenji murmured.

"Why don't we eat at Akabeko?" she completed her suggestion as if she never hear her sarcastic son.

Once again, Kenshin knew she was trying to be her normal self, so to help her along, he forced a smile, much like he did during his rurouni days, and agreed, "That sounds great, that it does."

When the family of three got to the Akabeko, they were half surprised to see Sano was there, and fully surprised to see Megumi also. Although they would both would never admit it, but the two were in a deep relationship, and they would always say they were friends.

"Jo-chan!" Sano smiled with the fish bone always in the corner of his mouth. "Finally done dragging Kenshin around with your shopping?"

Kaoru perked her lips, but otherwise said nothing. It was then that the Myoujin family came out from the back upon hearing the name "Jo-chan."

"Hello everyone!" Tsubame greeted with her usual bright smile.

"Why don't we all eat together?" Megumi suggested.

Everyone agreed and Tae, now the owner of the restaurant, allowed the three employed Myoujin family members a break since the restaurant was not too busy yet.

"Oi, Kenji," Shinya began; he was the mirror image of his father. "How many students are you up to now?"

"We had a few join up this past month, so we're up to twenty now." Kenji answered casually.

"Well that's good; at least you're staying afloat."

"Yea," the other young man agreed. "But I think we could use your help more."

"Hmm," Shinya pretended to think. "I'll give them five hundred strokes."

"Their arms will fall off." Kaoru finally spoke up.

"It's not any different than how you treated me, busu." Yahiko interjected.

"You hush." Kaoru said as she pointed her chopsticks at her full adult student.

"Here's your usual order!" Tae said as she brought out the food. "Tonkatsu, soba, tempura, and sukiyaki."

Kaoru stiffened when she saw the ingredients laid out to make sukiyaki, and Kenji hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. Tae was a good family friend, and the years the Himura family spent at the Akebeko were uncountable, so it was an understandable mistake that she brought them sukiyaki. Normally they would enjoy the delicious beef dish, but for the past year, Kaoru could not be around it without breaking down.

In response, Kaoru almost threw her chopsticks on the table, stood up and stated, "I need a moment." She quickly made her exit as Kenshin place a hand over his lowered face.

"Did I do something wrong?" Tae asked with a very worried look towards the exit her best friend walked out of.

"You meant well, Tae." Sano piped up. "Don't take it the wrong way."

"What did I do?"

"Sukiyaki has become somewhat of a forbidden dish now in the Himura family." Kenji explained. "It was…is…"

"Her favorite dish." Shinya completed when he friend could not finish his statement.

"OH!" Tae said when she realized whom they spoke of, and she placed her delicate fingers on her mouth as her face grew heavy with guilt. "I'm so sorry! I'm really—"

"Just as Sano said before," Megumi intervened. "You meant well."

After the disastrous dinner, the three family members walked back home in complete silence, with Kaoru a few paces behind. Her face was downcast and her eyes were red and puffy, but no one mentioned anything about it.

When they got to the dojo gates, Kenshin held his arm up, as if shielding his wife and son behind him. Although he was a retired swordsman, his warrior instincts never faded, and currently, they were on high alert.

"Someone's here." He murmured to them.

Kenji placed a hand to his sakabatou, but Kenshin firmly placed his hand on his son's hand with a short shake of his head. There was no need to resort to violence right away; it was time for caution. The family patriarch slowly opened the first set of gates and peered through the small opening he made with a single violet iris.

The second pair of gates were wide open, whereas before they left, he knew he closed them. His eye observed the property through the small opening until he saw a very familiar figure sitting on the engawa, and his eyes widened from the utter impossibility.

The figure sat with her back against the wooden post where the small wooden steps were. Her legs were drawn up, and her face, which he could not see, was buried in said legs. Her arms were rested on either knee as if she had been hugging her legs previously. Her long ebony hair flowed over her shoulders like a dark shiny veil.

Was it possibly an illusion?

"Who is it, Otottsuan?" Kenji asked.

Kenshin, without a response, opened the gates and walked towards the girl as if in a daze. Maybe his fragile mind had finally snapped and he had mercifully been given over to insanity. It was the only explanation he could come up with, even though he had last seen her in a pink summer kimono, and now he saw her in some sort of Chinese clothes; mint green in color with…his blood ran cold…yellow hakubaiku flowers embroidered on the fabric.

With a gentle hand, Kenshin reach out and touched the girl's arm. She gave a slight jolt, indicating she had been asleep, and she slowly raised her head. Finally, the familiar face appeared to him, with eyes that were like no other; sapphire-blue with bluish-violet towards the pupils. He begged to whatever deity was listening that she was not an illusion, for if she was, he was sure he would break.

"…Tadaima…Otottsuan…" she whispered.

Her songbird voice was not an illusion, and he could only stare at his little pebble with disbelieving eyes before he swallowed hard and choked the only proper response, "O-Okaerinasai…Kosihi…"

_To Be Continued…_

**AN**: Enter the Kenshin-gumi; YAY!

Oh, I didn't make a mistake with the "mom" and "dad" terms because "Otottsuan" and "Okkasan" were terms used for a father and mother during the Meiji Period, and since this is set during the 1890s, it is still Meiji Period. The other terms, "Otou-san" and "Okaa-san" were not used until later. Also, Shinya is not an original character; Watsuki had the idea for him, mentioned him, but never followed through. I'm interested in this Shinya he was thinking of, though, and I put him into the story.

Okay, regarding the "timing" of Kaoru's pregnancy and her marriage to Kenshin, well, here's the explanation:

During the Jinchuu Arc, Sanosuke goes off to the rural areas of Japan and ends up in the farming village where he was born and raised (before he went off with the Seiki Houtai). There, he faced the Hiruma brothers, and they were shocked to see him. Sano didn't remember who they were, and they said it was only six months ago since they last saw each other.

That gives us a timeline.

That means Kenshin and Kaoru knew each other for six months, give or take a few days or weeks. After the Jinchuu Arc, it takes a week for everyone, except Yahiko, to go their separate ways. When the manga picked back up, we read "Meiji Year 15."

That means it's four years later, and Kenji is about three years old. That doesn't seem bad, does it? Wait… the manga started "Meiji Year 11," and it takes a timeline of six months to go through all the Arcs. "Meiji Year 11" is halfway gone, and we know it takes 9 months to carry an unborn baby. (even though Japanese people count a pregnancy as 10 months, the math is still the same)

That means Kaoru would have carried Kenji through the rest of the six months left to Meiji Year 11. Let's say Kenji is born three months into Meiji Year 12 (the six months left of Meiji 11 plus the three months left to a nine month pregnancy). Kenji would be nine months old by the end of Meiji Year 12, which means he would've turned 1 year old by Meiji Year 13. That leaves 2 years more before Meiji Year 15, which is the year Kenji is 3 years old, almost 4 years old.

In other words, it's **very** close timing from the time Enishi and Kaoru were on the island together (BLUSH!), to the time she was pregnant with Kenji.

Now, here's where this story ties into that: there's a manga extra called "Yahiko no Sakabatou," which you can read for free online at mangahere. In it, Kaoru asks Yahiko to go to another dojo on assignment for a month, and on short notice, because she is unable to, but never states why. Well, that's where I got the timeline idea for this story. It could be that she has a family to care for, a rowdy three (almost four) year old son, a dojo to take care of…or maybe she just found out she was pregnant… (hehehehehe) and she stays behind. Oh, and Kenshin does have a sword at his side in that short manga, and that's why I described him with a sword.

It could be a mistake Watsuki made, forgetting that Kenshin gave up his sakabatou, but he couldn't have, because in the short manga, Yahiko uses the sakabatou Kenshin gave him for a genboku gift. Plus, in one scene both Kenshin and Yahiko had a sakabatou at their side.

Anyway, that's how I got the idea that Kenji and Koishi are three years apart, and Shinya was born a few months after Koishi.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN**: This chapter is about what was happening with the Kenshin-gumi while Koishi was in China.

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 18_

Himura Kenshin never meant to conceive Koishi. It was not that he did not like children; it was just that their nonexistent budget could ill afford another child since they already had Kenji. Plus, it was always incredibly painful for a woman to labor and birth a child, and he did not want his Kaoru going through such torment.

Kenshin had always been a man of self-control, even when pushed to his limits, but when it came to his dear, sweet Kaoru, he had no thought and no control.

Kaoru's labor and delivery had been a bit easier than it had been with Kenji. She was so delighted to have a baby girl in her arms; a "second Jo-chan" as Sano put it, during the later times when his name finally cleared and he could rest in Japan with ease.

Koishi was such a happy girl. At times she would be absolutely feminine, and other times, she would dress in a gi and hakama, and practice swordsmanship alongside her brother. She was good at it; not as gifted as Kenji, but she was the same level as Myoujin Shinya, Yahiko and Tsubame's son.

After time had passed, Koishi lost interest in practicing swordsmanship, but that did not disappoint Kenshin and Kaoru; they never expected their children to have the same interests as themselves.

Their daughter grew, and Kenshin was amazed at how much she was the perfect mixture of himself and his wife, Kaoru. She had his eye shape; semi-cat-like, and her mother's eye color locked in her irises, mixed with both his and Kaoru's eye color towards the pupils.

Koishi was a very thoughtful girl and always helped her parents around the dojo. Even when all the chores were done, she would still find something to do; clean the floors of the dojo a second time and wash even a few articles of laundry.

At times, when her mother was busy with her students at the dojo, she would bring her father lunch when he worked at the police station.

One day, almost immediately after the Sakura Festivals, Koishi made a trip to her father's place of employment, the police station, with a bento lunch. They spent lunch together, just the two of them, and she read to him a few of her haiku. She had a talent for haiku; most of them contained the beauty of Japan and everyday life.

"I have been thing about a gift for my sixteenth birthday coming up, Otottsuan." Koishi hinted as she pretended to brush down her pink summer kimono.

"What do you wish?" Kenshin asked. Even in his older age, he still maintained the forever boyish voice of his.

"It's a simple gift." She stated with a smile. "An erhu."

"An erhu?" her father repeated with a surprised look.

"Yes; an erhu to play music with."

"Oh," Kenshin said with amusement. "We'll see what we can do. For now, please go help your mother. I'm sure she's very busy."

"Of course I will." Her smile could brighten up even the cloudiest of days.

That was the last time anyone saw Himura Koishi.

The sun set with orange hues in the sky when Kenshin arrived back at the dojo. The first thing he heard when he opened the wooden gates was his wife yelling, "Himura Koishi, I am so angry with you! How dare you stay out this late!"

Kenshin jumped; very rarely did his daughter ever get into trouble! Out came Kaoru with a look that would probably scare Shishiou and, in her hands, a bokken. Kaoru's face of fury instantly melted away when she saw her husband in the gateway, and not her fifteen year old daughter. Her eyes widened, and she dropped her bokken.

"Have you seen Koishi?" she asked, horrified.

A cold chill swept over Kenshin and settled in the pit of his stomach as he numbly shook his head. It took them only a second after that to both dash out of the dojo and to the police station. Due to his popularity, all the police force under The Chief went out to look for Kenshin's daughter.

They lit lanterns as the sun disappeared on the horizon, calling her name out in the cool night air. When they finally took the search off the main streets of Tokyo, and searched by the river, they found the empty bento boxes on the river bank. No sign of Koishi anywhere and no witnesses.

It was a horrible night for Kenshin to have to return home and face his wife without their daughter. He had to see the look on her face, and his heart broke when he saw the tears build up in her eyes and cascade down her cheeks.

Many nights after, he sat on the engawa and stared at nothing, just as he did in his self-loathsome rurouni days. He was filled with constant thoughts and guilt; he should have escorted Koishi back to see her safely home. He should not have assumed she would be alright by herself.

The question that kept him away most nights was, is she still alive?

The investigation stayed top priority for weeks on end, and the Tokyo police even enlisted Saitou Hajime, alias Fujita Goro, as head investigator. He was on another case elsewhere in Japan, so he had to go back to the main capital.

When he arrived at the Tokyo police station to look at all the specific facts, Saitou took one look at Kenshin, puffed his cigarette and stated, "You look like hell, Battousai."

Kenshin did not have the energy to disagree, for he knew it was probably true, so he just glared at his once hated enemy.

"Are these all the facts?" Saitou asked, concerned at the lack of trace evidence.

"I'm afraid so." Kenshin answered. "No witnesses saw her being kidnapped, or have seen her since. It's like she disappeared from existing."

"Are you sure she was kidnapped?" the head investigator questioned.

The redhead glared and emphasized, "She's a good girl; she would never run away from home."

"Then it was more than likely done by professionals." Saitou explained. "I know you're not going to like what I tell you, but we've had cases like this all over Japan; young girls, ages ranging from thirteen to nineteen, just disappearing without a trace, mostly during the spring time."

Kenshin felt physically ill after Saitou's last statement. Did the same thing happen to his daughter?

"It's become somewhat of a crisis." Saitou continued. "And it's been happening for the past two years. The problem is it's such a pain in the ass to find these people because they only work during the spring, and if we're lucky, sometimes during the summer. We don't know why; maybe it's to keep the suspicion to a minimum, or maybe it's their criminal code. The other problem is, while we can still keep searching for her, we won't know for sure until we find these people."

"Are you sure it could be them?" Kenshin asked.

"I have a feeling that it could be them." Saitou reasurred.

A detailed police description was created of Koishi, down to the color of the kimono she wore the last day anyone saw her. It was posted at various places all over Tokyo, and even the Akabeko posted the papers in the restaurant.

Late summer came, five months after Koishi disappeared.

Kenshin just stared into nothing as he sat on the engawa until he saw a pair of black Chinese cloth shoes in front of him. He slowly raised his head up and saw the spiky brown hair of a former fighter-for-hire standing there with a fish bone in his mouth. The man stared at his friend with the utmost sympathy in his chocolate-brown eyes as he kept his wrapped hands in the pockets of his white pants.

"Any luck?" Sanosuke asked. Both Sano and Megumi came back from Aizu after they heard the news, to support their close friends in their time of crisis.

Kenshin slowly shook his head and sighed, "The police haven't found anything." He humorlessly chuckled and informed, "Did you know that I have become so desperate, that I asked Aoshi and Misao-dono for help in the search?"

Sano took one of his hands out of his pocket and rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Maybe no one is looking in the right places…"

The redhead's head snapped up and he asked, "What do you mean?"

"Yes, what do you mean?"

Sano looked behind him with an annoyed face when he saw the amber-eyed posy looking at him with a turned up nose. As always, the Mibu wolf really detested it when people hinted that he was not working hard enough; that he was not doing everything possible.

"Do you always appear when its convient for you?" the former fighter asked with annoyance.

"I'm interesting in knowing what you think we're not doing right." Saitou coaxed as if he was offended.

"Why else would someone take a fifteen year old girl?" Sano emphasized.

Saitou raised an eyebrow as if he already knew the answer to the question as Kenshin stared with denying dread.

Without waiting for an answer, Sano suggested, "I might have a lead, if you're willing to take it."

The former assassin was desperate enough to agree, "Alright; where're we going?"

The rooster-head winced as he rubbed the back of his neck with his wrapped hand and answered, "To see a friend…just don't tell the doctor, okay?"

Kenshin knew that "the doctor" meant Megumi. Although they both would not admit it aloud, they had feelings for each other, and kept a secret relationship. Everyone knew about it, so the only ones they were fooling were themselves.

The trio went to the brothel section of the city. The brothels looked like typical houses, only more pressed together to compact a large population into a small space. The women, ages ranged from at least thirteen to forty, stood outside the buildings with their kimonos wider than was modestly possible, and their obis tied in the front; the sign of a prostitute.

Sano led both Kenshin and Saitou up to one building, and the prostitutes outside gazed at him with a siren's look until they saw the policeman there, and their faces became sullen and they ignored the trio.

"What can we do for you, sir?" one of the women asked, and it pained Kenshin to note that she looked like she was about Koishi's age.

"I'm here to see Shinju." Sano requested. (Shinju = Pearl)

"We don't know anyone by that name here." She said and her eyes briefly flicked to Saitou.

"Don't worry about the cop," the rooster-head stated. "I swear he won't bother you." The young woman had a look of doubt when he said that, but he continued, "I know Shinju is the madam here; just tell her that Zanza wishes to speak with her."

The young woman hesitated, her eyes flicked to each man before she went inside the house. Moments later, a woman, about the age of Sano, came out and glared him down.

"Zanza," she greeted without a welcoming voice. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Oh, come on Shinju-chan," he cooed. "Is that anyway to greet an old friend?"

The woman, Shinju, was an average height, about the same height as Kaoru, with long ebony hair tied up into a messy bun, and her kimono was much the same as her subordinates. She had a hardened look to her, as was expected, for the life of a prostitute was no longer a glamorous, or easy job.

"Sano," Kenshin muttered to his tall friend. "How do you know this woman?"

"Oh," he started as he ran a hand through his spiky brown hair. "After the Seiki Houtai, I had odd jobs. One of those odd jobs was being...kind of like a bodyguard for these women because a few men were roughing them up. I became friends with Shinju."

The madam's onyx eyes flicked to Saitou and she venomously stated, "A person who deals with cops is no friend of mine."

"I swear he won't bother you." Sano said. "We're just looking for a girl."

"Well, I have plenty of girls." Shinju said bitterly with a sweep of her arm.

"Uh, this girl is different." The man explained. "She has blue eyes—"

"Blue eyes?" the madam pronounced. "If she has blue eyes, send her to me; a blue-eyed girl will bring in lots of Westerners to my business."

Kenshin's eyebrow twitched when he heard such words. Was a blue-eyed girl really that desirable? If so, he did not want to think about his daughter's situation.

"Please, Shinju," Sano pleaded. "She just disappeared without a trace and we're just trying to find out something."

Shinju rolled her onyx eyes and asked, "How long ago was she taken, and from where?"

"She was taken from Tokyo five months ago."

The madam stared at the trio for a brief moment with eyes that gave her away; she knew more than she was letting on.

"I don't know anything." She stated. "If she's been gone for five months, then she's lost."

"Please!" Kenshin interjected. "Please, she's my daughter; no matter what situation she's in, I just want to find her."

All the other women looked at the desperate man with great sympathy and a level of respect came to their eyes. No one had bothered to look for them, which brought them to their current situation, and those who did were ashamed that they were prostitutes, even if not by choice, so they were disowned. This desperate father, however, would love his daughter even if she was a prostitute, and because of that, he gained their approval.

Shinju stared at the redhead for a moment before she turned to the young woman at her side and commanded, "Bring me Tsukiko from the hole." (Tsukiko = Moon Child; I love that name!)

The young woman quickly bowed and went inside the whorehouse. She soon brought out another young woman, who was screaming and crying. The young woman was obviously new to the life of a prostitute, and she still had her spirit and resistance. Obviously, she was undergoing a process of breaking her spirit so she would no longer have her resistance.

The young woman was an extremely petite girl, even smaller than Koishi with the youthful face of a ten year old. It sickened Kenshin to the core to see such a young girl living a wretched life. The girl's light brown, defiant eyes gazed hatefully at each man as if they were there for sexual favors that she would have to fulfill, but her eyes locked on the redhead, and she frowned.

"This is Tsukiko." Shinju explained. "I brought her out here because there's a system we operate from. Now, if I give you the lead you're looking for, remember that you didn't hear it from us! Go ahead; ask her."

"What system are you talking about?" Saitou interrogated.

"I buy girls who have been used up after they've been sold to men." Shinju stated. "Tsukiko, explained what happened to you."

Tsukiko still had her eyes on Kenshin when she answered, "Five month ago, I was kidnapped from Kyoto and auctioned off for my virginity."

Kenshin wanted to vomit after hearing that, but he gulped several times and held it together. The girl continued, "After the man who bought me had his fill, he sold me to this woman."

Shinju immediately slapped the girl's face and commanded, "You will address me as 'madam' or 'Shinju-sama!'"

"You don't have to be so hard on her." Kenshin finally spoke up.

"Oh, we have a hero." The madam pointed out with bitterness. "And where were you, 'hero,' when we needed you; before we were cast into this horrible life?!"

Wait…that sounded familiar…

The girl, Tsukiko, held up her hand to the redhead and shook her head. She then corrected herself, "I was then sold by that man to Shinju-sama."

"Do you know where you were auctioned off?" Sano asked.

"I don't know…there were a lot of ships in port, though, and it was close to this city…"

"That sounds like Yokohama." Saitou muttered to his shorter adversary, then aloud asked, "Do you know where you were auctioned off at?"

Tsukiko had to pause for a moment to consider before she said, "The building said 'Teahouse,' but inside there was nothing but an old hag who check for proof of our virginity."

"Our?" Saitou pressed.

"I wasn't the only girl there." She pointed and then looked at the redhead. "Why do you want to know these things?"

"My daughter…" Kenshin informed. "She also disappeared. She was wearing a pink kimono when we last saw her."

Tsukiko stilled and then described, "Does she have eyes like yours, only with a different color towards the pupil?"

Kenshin's breath hitched in his throat and he shook as he answered, "Hai." (Hai = yes)

The girl nodded and informed, "She was there."

"Are you sure?" Saitou inquired.

"Yes." Tsukiko said with conviction. "No one can forget eyes like hers, and I remember wishing I had her pretty eyes."

"Thank you!" Kenshin expressed his gratitude and bowed quickly.

"Remember," Shinju ordered. "You didn't hear this from us."

The other two men had already walked away as Sano turned to the madam and said, "Thank you for your help, Shinju-chan. If you need any help, you know where to find me."

All Shinju did was nod to accept their gratitude.

The investigation took Saitou and Kenshin to the small fishing town of Yokohama.

The Yokohama police already had several men in custody, interrogating them, for Saitou sent a message to them ahead of time, before their arrival. Then, when the two former enemies entered the station, Kenshin once again had to brandish the title "Battousai" to get everyone's attention.

One of the men, a scrawny man with stubble all over his face, all but remained silent until Kenshin flashed the police description of Koishi.

"I don't know who she is." He said. "So many girls come and go; we don't remember any specific one."

"Even if you don't remember her face," the former swordsman informed. "You would remember the color of her eyes. They were two different colors."

The man paused. Since Japanese people with eyes any color other than brown was uncommon, it was enough to make him remember; especially two different colored irises.

"Okay, let's say I did see her." he snipped. "That doesn't mean I'm telling you two anything."

"She's my daughter." Kenshin informed. "In both eyes, she has deep blue with a bluish-purple towards her pupils. Was she one of the girls you had in your possession?"

The man fidgeted, for he knew he was in deep trouble. To take a child of the most well-known patriot in the whole of Japan was asking for a death sentence.

With beads of perspiration formed on his forehead, he looked from Saitou to Battousai, and stated with a shaky voice, "We had no idea she was your daughter."

"All those girls belonged to someone." Kenshin stated. "What happened to her?"

"She's sold off already, months ago."

Kenshin was hardly violent, despite what other people thought of him, and only used force when it was extremely necessary. As a cold feeling swept through his body, he promptly grabbed the man's gi with two handed fists, and demanded, "How can we get into this club?!"

To get into the club would get them a list of suspects, and a list of suspects could possibly lead to Koishi.

The man stuttered as he gazed into the fierce eyes of the once feared man in all Japan, and said, "I-It's an exclusive c-club for men…you know, like one of those c-clubs you have to know someone to g-get in."

"Battousai," Saitou said, and Kenshin released the man. The cat-eyed investigator looked back to the man and stated, "We understand what you said; you have to know someone to get into the organization." He took a puff of his cigarette and blew the thick smoke out. "Now, can we get in if we knew a person in there?"

The man shook his head and answered, "No; it's very strict. You have to know a long time member to get in, and to bid. If you're a new member, you can't bring anyone in."

"Well, shit." Saitou said, although with a calm voice. "How about you just give us the name of the man who bought her?"

The man shifted nervously again. He cleared his throat before saying, "I'll get killed if I use names."

Saitou took one last puff from his cigarette and snuffed it out on the man's arm. He cried out in pain as the sharp burning pain burst through his arm.

"I'm sorry!" the man cried. "You don't understand; I'll get killed if I utter a single name! This club is for extremely rich and important people; government officials, mob bosses, those kind of people! I didn't even know the guy; he wasn't a regular!"

"Did you get his name?" Saitou asked. "We only want to know the name of the man who bought the girl."

The man once again shook his head. "I asked for his name, but he didn't give it. I told him he was welcomed back, but I haven't seen him since."

"When is the next auction?" Saitou interrogated.

"N-Next year. We only operate once a year when the ships come to port."

"What do you mean 'when the ships come to port'?" Kenshin asked.

"We…ano, we can't operate during the summer because…we have to s-ship the girls in…from all around Japan…"

"You ship them in?" Saitou asked in a dark voice. "As in, use the ships to bring them in?"

"W-Well…more like put them in crates so the ship inspectors think we're bring in regular cargo."

Kenshin had to grab the iron bars behind him with all his life just to keep himself from beating the guy to mush. Saitou remained calm and collected as he paused for a brief moment to allow the information to process.

"In shipping crates." Saitou stated. "Do all the girls make it?"

Now the man's entire frame began to shake as he opened and closed his mouth several time before answering, "No; not all of them make it…that's why we only operate in spring when the weather is mild. Only when we're desperate for money do we sell girls during the summer, and even then, we take them as local as possible so we don't lose investment."

"Investment." Kenshin repeated, and then almost shouted, "Investment?! These are girls you stole from their families and sold them to lecherous men!"

Saitou held his hand up, and asked, "You said you haven't seen the man since he bought the girl, right?"

"Hai; maybe he took a liking to her and decided to keep her permanently. He did pay a high price for her after all."

"How much was she bought for?" the amber-eyed investigator inquired.

"Five hundred thousand one hundred Yen. I remember because we don't get paid that high a price very often."

"That's a lot of yen for one loud mouth girl."

"Oi." Kenshin warned, but Saitou ignored him.

"If a man pays five hundred thousand Yen for a girl's virginity," Saitou thought outloud. "Then the man has to be rich."

"Why would someone pay so much for a girl's virginity?" Kenshin questioned him.

"Well, obviously, Battousai." the investigator emphasized. "We have become Westernized. You well know, before, we were more understandable and didn't hold as much high priority towards a girl's virginity. Since the Meiji Era started, our traditions and beliefs had become obscured."

It was true. Before Japan became an open country, women were not comodities for their husbands, and even though they did most of the chores, their opinions still had a standing. Even before, it was not a dishonnor to be a prostitute, rather, just another profession, and they were not looked down upon, which was why an Oron had honor.

Now that they were becoming Westernized, virginity had become something of high value, as if some thin piece of skin was the difference between pride and shame. The Japanese women had become oppressed, and they were seen as comodities. They were to remain "pure" and prostitutes, which was once considered a profession, was now something wretched; something shameful.

Kenshin could not stop the guilt that started to form in his stomach with acidic rage. He had helped usher in the Meiji Era, and with it, Western influence.

"This man who bought the girl," Saitou continued with the interigation. "What type was he?"

"Well, he looked like the type—" the man started but stopped himself.

"Go on," Saitou encouraged with a wicked smirk on his face. "What did he look like?"

"We're not even supposed to say what our clients look like."

"Of course not." He agreed before removing his white glove and gave the man a sharp fist to the face.

"Alright!" the man agreed when he recovered. "He was a shady type of guy. He's probably in the organized crime rink because he was with a Japanese mafia leader…and politician. He…he had white hair and a long face. When he spoke, his voice was deep, but soft. I couldn't tell his age, or his eye color, but I could clearly see he wore Chinese clothes."

"Chinese clothes?" Saitou asked. "Could you tell if he was Chinese?"

Everyone knew it was not uncommon for Chinese to be in Yokohama.

"I couldn't tell." The man answered after he spit blood out of his mouth. "I would say Chinese, because when he spoke Japanese, some of it was off; kind of like a foreigner speaking our language. You know when they're not a native speaker."

(For those of you who don't know, in the manga, Enishi spoke Japanese, of course, but his Japanese was not always grammatically correct. The only way I can explain it is, his Japanese was like a child speaking, or a foreign speaker, not at all like a well-educated Japanese speaker. In fact, Enishi forgot how to speak Japanese for a period of time while living in China.)

Outside the jailhouse, Kenshin had to pause to take in yet another dead end. He turned when he heard Saitou walk up behind him. The investigator almost looked pitiful, but pity was not in that cigarette addict's nature.

"From what we could gather," Saitou began as he lit up another cigarette. "Your daughter was shipped in from Tokyo, and sold in Yokohama for a very handsome price to some unknown Chinese man. Since ships from China dock here, in Yokohama, it's very likely she is somewhere in China."

"Yamaro." Kenshin said, although he already knew that was the probability.

"China isn't my jurisdiction." The policeman stated. "We have no connections there, and we don't know anyone there. My investigation has to stop here; she's lost."

"Yamero!" Kenshin repeated in a harsher tone with his hand clinched into tight fists.

"That's just the truth, Battousai." Saitou stated, even though the redhead knew it hurt the Mibu Wolf's pride to deem someone lost, give his tenacious nature. "Seriously, I didn't like the fact that you were one of the investigators on this case, because she's your daughter. You're too emotionally involved."

"Is there nothing else we can do?" Kenshin said in a softer voice.

"We have no other resources to search for her, from the local police department. However, I can forward her case to internal affairs since the department was set up to help foreigners and citizens in a foreign country. If it makes you feel better, I'll keep the case open until something turns up. I'll even forward the case to all Chinese cities."

That did very little to make cheer him up, but Kenshin nodded his gratitude and then mumbled as he started the walk back to Tokyo.

He shook his head as he stared at the dojo gates. His wife had tried hard to continue with her schedule of student training since Koishi's disappearance, but lately, she just let Yahiko perform as instructor. From the sound of the students inside, the instructor for the evening was Yahiko.

Kenshin sighed with grief as he walked onto the dojo property. He came to a sudden stop when he saw his usually strong wife, Kaoru, sitting seiza, and stared into their daughter's room. His heart broke when he saw the tears stream down her cheeks.

"Kenshin!" she turned to greet him. She must have seen him through her peripheral vision.

"Kaoru." He greeted back as she all but ran into his arms. She looked at him with hope on her face, and he did not have the heart to tell her. "We have a lead." He lied, and it tasted bitter in his mouth. "It's small, but we will continue from there."

After a long while, Kaoru finally smiled and she hugged her husband tightly. That was when Kenshin saw their son, Kenji, standing on the engawa and he shot his son a pleaded look. He just could not tell his wife the truth.

A week after that, Kenshin sat, propped against the wooden post, sleep deprived, on the engawa, his mind filled with possibilities and scenarios to find a way to bring Koishi home. The problem was, China was a huge country; the biggest in Asia, and there were many places to make a person disappear.

"Otottsuan?" he heard his son, Kenji, greet.

Kenshin looked warily at his son, whom sat down across from him, his back against the wooden post opposite of his father. Kenji was his exact image, through and through, right down to the flaming-red hair kept up in a high ponytail. It was down, however, and free from its usual binding.

"What happened, Otottsuan?" Kenji asked.

Kenshin hesitated, but remembered his son was eighteen; an adult. "We followed the trail to Yokohama, and that was where Koishi was sold to an unknown Chinese man."

Kenji's mouth opened, he cussed, and said, "That's very unlucky. Who's going to look for her in China?"

"The police won't go there. They don't have authority there."

"Seriously?!" Kenji demanded in a high whisper. "They won't even inform the police in China of a girl who is basically a victim of being sold as merchandise?!"

"Al least," Kenshin answered. "Saitou said he would forward the case to every police department in the cities of China. He also sent the case to internal affairs, who deal with international cases."

"Are **we** completely out of options?! There's no one else who will help us?!"

Kenshin shook his head and said, "I sent a letter to Kyoto, to the Oniwanbanshu, and Aoishi sent a letter back; China is a huge country, and he doesn't have very many resources there, if any. But he will try what he can. He sent one of his onmitsu out to search every city, one who knows China's many dialects. Aoshi also warns me that the young man is rather rash, though, and he had difficult time keeping the onmitsu under control; but the onmitsu is in China now."

"At least we have something." Kenji stated even though he did not feel very optimistic.

The next morning, Kenshin saw Kaoru place an object in Koishi's room. It was regular rectangle shaped and it was wrapped in paper.

"Kaoru?" he inquired to his wife. "What is that?"

"It's for Koishi." Kaoru answered as she slid the shouji door shut. "It's the book on haiku she wanted, and I'm sure she'll enjoy it when she comes back."

When she comes back…

Kenshin inwardly flinched at those words. His wife had not yet given up on the hope that their daughter would one day return. At the moment, he became disgusted with himself when he realized that he had already given up hope of ever seeing Koishi again. It was not as if he so readily gave up; he would search every crevice in China if he had to, but he had to continue to provide for what was left of his family.

As the months passed, Kenshin was at the point where he would settle for any news of his daughter; any letter, any note, just to let him know that she was alive and well. It was the unknown, the mystery of her condition, which was hypothetically killing himself and his family.

He always blamed himself; he should have done more. He could have done more to bring Koishi back.

And finally, it was as if his prayers had been answered and she materialized back into existence. There she was, on the engawa, and as soon as she said, "I'm home," it was like a confirmation that she was really there.

All the Himura family could do was hold her with tears in their eyes and keep their unanswered questions to themselves.

_To Be Continued…_

**AN:** Yes, short, but when I give a short chapter, you know I follow it up with a long chapter, so please don't give up on me yet!


	19. Chapter 19

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 19_

"Koishi was in China the whole time?!"

Kenshin blinked at his fuming wife, who, even without a bokken in her hands, was unnerving to behold. After they saw their daughter on the engawa, Kaoru looked her over and asked her why she was wearing those clothes. Koishi informed that she had been in China for a year. Sapphire-blue eyes then looked at him with fire in her eyes, and asked if he knew about it. The poor redhead just could not tell his wife another lie, so he said he did, but he did not know where in China she was.

It escalated from there.

Kaoru promptly gabbed her futon from their room and went straight to their daughter's room, and there she slept that night. Now that it was morning, her temper flared and she was screaming at him when he washed laundry. Not wanting to cause a scene, Kenshin promptly stood up and went to their room, where his wife followed him, and her argument continued.

"Yes," he answered with a calm voice to try to soothe his wife's temper. "She was in China the whole time."

"How long did you know?!"

Kenshin ran his hand through his short red hair and said, "Since late summer."

Her reaction was as if steam would come out of her ears as fire burned in her eyes and she screamed, "You knew that long, and you told me you had a lead?! Who else knew besides me?!"

"Saitou, of course." He answered with his still calm voice. "Sano also, because he helped us with the investigation. And…Kenji."

Kaoru glared so dangerously that Kenshin took a step back. She then screamed, "Kenji knew?! That would mean that Shinya would know, and if Shinya knew then Yahiko and Tsubame also knew! And if Sano knew, then more than likely Megumi-san knew too! Why didn't you just tell me that she was in China?!"

"The police won't go there because it's not their jurisdiction." He answered honestly. "Saitou did forward her case to internal affairs, but he didn't think they would help too much. So, I asked Aoshi and Misao-dono for help, through a letter, and they reassigned an onmitsu of theirs to China."

That explanation did nothing to soothe Kaoru's temper, and it once again flared as she yelled, "You forgot two people who also knew; Misao-san and Shinomori! That would mean the whole Oniwanban knew! So everyone knew what happened to Koishi except for me, her own mother!"

"Kaoru-koishii—"

"Don't you 'darling' me, Kenshin!" she seethed. "I told you, we need to tell each other everything! That's the way a marriage works! You promised me you wouldn't keep secrets from me anymore!"

He did promise her, after he got her back from Enishi, that he would never keep anything from her again since it almost caused both of them their deaths.

"Kaoru," Kenshin started. "Sessha just couldn't bear to tell you the truth, to tell you that Koishi was in China, because that would mean our chances of getting her back would be practically zero. Sessha didn't want you to go through that…that he did not."

His explanation seemed to calm her down and she closed her eyes and breathed evenly. When she opened her eyes again, they were filled with sadness, and he felt horrible for it.

"You can't keep all the burden on yourself, Kenshin." Kaoru said, at last with a soft voice. She promptly grabbed his gi, pulled him to her, and she wrapped her arms around him while she buried her face in his shoulder. "You just can't do that anymore." She stated with a muffled voice before she gave way to tears.

Kenshin flinched at her sobs, but he wrapped his arms around his wife in comfort, and asked, "Kaoru-koishii, what's wrong?"

After she sobbed a few times, Kaoru answered, "Koishi woke up crying this morning and she wouldn't tell me why. I think she's keeping her burden to herself."

"Maybe she just needs time before she will talk to us."

Kaoru inhaled a shaky breath and stated, "I just can't bear to think of the things that must've happened to her."

Kenshin also did not want to think about what could have happened to Koishi, and when he saw the marks on her neck, he grew sick just to look at them. He knew how a person would get those marks, but he was not sure if he even wanted an explanation.

"Kenshin?"

"Aa?"

"Promise me… no more secrets."

"Hai, Kaoru-koishii; no more secrets."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The early spring weather in Tokyo was beautiful. Not a single cloud could be seen in the sky as a cool breeze from the ocean would blow through the city. The weather in the city was simply desirable and many tourists flocked there during the Sakura festivals.

Many of the residents were grateful to live in such a beautiful city and have the spring scent of cherry blossoms flow through their wonderful city.

Koishi mentally sighed and ceased her laundry gathering as she felt a cool breeze pass through. She closed her eyes and lifted her head to feel the wind's caress over her like a lover's touch.

"_Sometimes we need to take a brief pause in life and just feel the wind. It's very peaceable; you should try it."_

She had once said that to him. It was only three months ago, but it seemed like an eternity since she had said it; and only two days since she last saw him. Two days since he last touched her; two days since they made love, and two days of yearning for him.

Koishi missed Enishi dearly, although she never talked about him. So often she thought of him and wondered what he was doing. Was he alright? Was he thinking of her? Was he fine living without her?

She blinked herself out of that particular thought and turned herself back to the laundry. She spent the day scrubbing her clothes by hand instead of using a wooden stick, her hands were once again growing calloused from the scrubbing and somewhat dry when they used to be soft like velvet. On top of that, it was excruciating to her infected wrists.

She did not, of course, mind the hard work. It was just another adjustment to get herself back into her daily routine at home. The reason for the adjustment was because she did not know what to do with herself since she had unknowingly built her life around Enishi. The only things she had to remind her of him was some clothes and the hair decor he gave her, all packed in her travel sack, hidden away in her room.

She had been depressed, if that was the correct word for it. However, she forced herself to get up and create a routine, starting with laundry. It was probably a common trait her father and herself shared, even though he was not present at the moment.

Koishi blinked when she realized her drifting thoughts caused her to involuntarily stop gathering the clothes. It was just utterly devastating, when she woke up that morning after her abandonment, and remembered everything. She could do nothing but cry helplessly and when her mother, who slept in her room the previous night, asked her what was wrong, Koishi never answered.

She was thrilled to be home, no doubt about that, but she just preferred to be home, here, with Enishi. She was also utterly confused to the reason why he would leave her behind, and the only plausibility she could come up with was that he grew tired of her; and that put her back into helpless tears once more.

"Oi, Jo-chan; a word with you, if I may."

Koishi paused in her laundry gathering; she knew that voice, and knew who was the only one to call her mother "Jo-chan." It still irked her that people mistook her for her mother, but she had been told time and again that she looked just like her mother from behind. Plus, she now had her ebony hair in a high ponytail, whereas she had it down and flowing free for almost a year. Slowly she turned around, and faced her "uncle," whose eyes widened when he realized who she was.

"Sorry, Oji-san," she informed. "I'm Koishi."

Sano's mouth was opened for a while after she spoke until he blinked himself out of his stupor. He promptly smiled, with a, "Koi-chan!" and gathered the young woman in his arms, and rubbed his knuckles gently on her head. She felt like a child when he did that, and it irritated her, but simultaneously, she felt guilty for her irritation when it used to make her laugh. The "Koi-chan" nickname always irritated her, for it turned the kanji of her name into a fish.

"So, it's true," Sano said after he released her. "Kenji said you were back, and we couldn't believe it until we saw it."

We? It was then that Koishi looked beyond her uncle and saw the good doctor standing behind him with an awkward smile.

"When did Onii-chan tell everyone?" she asked.

"When he went to Akabeko this morning." Megumi informed. "You can bet that Yahiko and his family will be here later, to see you."

"Yea, and speaking of that," Sano started again. "Where's Jo-chan?"

Koishi stiffened for a fraction before she stuttered, "Ano…Okkasan is in the bedroom…arguing with Ototsuan."

"You just got back," Megumi pointed out with a delicate frown on her beautiful face. "Why would they be arguing?"

"Well, more like she's yelling at Ototsuan, but…I don't know all the details, but…apparently, she's really angry that Ototsuan knew about me being in China…but he never told Okkasan. She's angry about that."

"Oh, that." Sano said with a shrug of his shoulders as if it was not a big deal. "Speaking of China, why're you wearing Chinese clothes?"

Koishi looked down at her outfit, which was a baby pink changshan for women, embroidered with, once again, blossoms over the fabric.

"My geta are in China." She said as she held out one foot to show her shoes. "I think wearing Chinese cloth shoes with a kimono is just tacky."

"S'alright." The family uncle said and he pointed to his feet. He had always worn black Chinese cloth shoes, and even now he wore them. "I never liked geta anyway. It's not good for fighting." He then added, "You've been back for a day, after being gone for a year, and the first thing you do is laundry?"

Koishi allowed herself a smile with, "I am my father's daughter."

"So now that you're back," Megumi started. "Do you need a thorough exam?"

"A what?" she inquired.

"You know…" the doctor tried again. "To make sure everything is alright with you?"

"Ehm."

Everyone turned behind them and saw Kenji and the Myoujin family had arrived. Yahiko and Tsubame stared at Koishi just as their son, Shinya, walked up to her and promptly held her in a tight hug. The young woman blinked and could not help but think how wrong it felt to be held by another man other than Enishi.

Despite their height and size differences, it was just better and felt right to be held by him rather than Shinya. It was not that she did not like him; she just liked him as a brother.

"It's good to see you again, Koishi." He stated after he released her.

"And it's good to see you, too, Shinya-san."

"Why do you insisted with the 'san' bit?" he asked with a pout. "I always thought we were closer than that."

"Okay, Shinya…chan?"

Shinya's eyebrow twitched and muttered, "Forget it."

"So, Otoutsuan and Okkasan?" Kenji asked without elaboration.

"Ototsuan is still getting an earful."

"Not anymore." Kaoru stated as she came down the steps and slipped her geta on. She looked her daughter over since the first time she saw her that morning, and she raised an eyebrow. "Why're you wearing that?"

Koishi did not like how all eyes turned to look at her, and she flinch, cleared her throat, and then answered, "I don't have geta anymore."

"You still could've worn a kimono." Her mother pointed out.

"I think that looks tacky." She countered with her previous point with her uncle.

"Well," Kenshin started, good-naturedly. "At least you both can now get a new kimono, and Koishi can get a pair of geta, that you can."

Kaoru nodded in agreement and Koishi, surprisingly, dreaded having to put on another constrictive kimono with constrictive geta. She had grown accustomed to the loose and free Chinese chanshan with comfortable cloth shoes. However, she was back in Japan now, and she would have to play the role of the good submissive daughter.

"And while you're at it," Kenji piped up. "Megumi-sensei should have a look at you. Your neck looks horrible."

"Kenji!" Kaoru scolded with a shout.

"What's wrong with my neck?" Koishi asked innocently.

"You have marks all over your neck." The big mouthed brother explained.

"Kenji, enough!" Their mother tried to scold again.

"Marks?" Koishi started again, and without further explination, she walked over to the laundry basin and looked into the water. Sure enough, there were marks all over her neck, from where her changshan's high collar could not cover up. Her neck looked deeply suckled and thoroughly ravaged, and she gave an embarrassed cough as the air around them grew thick.

"I'm sure Megumi-sensei will give me wraps for my…bruised neck." She stated before she turned back around.

"Well, good." The loud-mouthed redhead started. "Because you look—"

The resounding crack of a bokken rang through the air and everyone flinched when they saw it was Kaoru who hit her son on the shoulder with said wooden sword. Without another word, Megumi, with her wooden doctor kit always in her hand, walked over to the engawa and motioned for Koishi to sit next to her.

As soon as the young woman sat down, the doctor promptly grabbed her hand. The long sleeves of her changshan moved above her wrist and there they could see the infected marks. Megumi grabbed the young woman's other hand and both wrists produced the same results.

The doctor's beautiful eyes flashed with anger, but she maintained a professional attitude as she worked to get the infection out of Koishi's wrists.

"I noticed your wrists when you were gathering laundry." Megumi conversed as if there were no onlookers. "How did you get tied up?"

Koishi blinked, but Enishi's words came back to her mind; never tell them where you were or who you were with. She shrugged and flinched when the doctor poured some sort of burning liquid over her wrists.

"It's a long story…" she finally answered.

"We got plenty of time."

Koishi looked up when she recognized the deep voice belonging to one Saitou Hajime, alias Fujita Goro. He puffed on his never-ending cigarette as if he owned the dojo.

"Sai—" the young woman started, but then noticed there was another officer with him, so she went with, "Fujita-san; why're you here?"

"I just received word that you're back, and I came to interview you, so I can close your case."

Koishi inwardly dreaded the questions she was sure would follow; but she had to maintain her integrity to her lover, even though he abandoned her.

"First off," Saitou began after another puff. "Where were you?"

"In China." She promptly stated.

"Do you know where in China?"

"A city."

Saitou stared hard at Koishi before he blew his cigarette smoke out of his smirking mouth and noted, "Someone became a smartass while she was away."

"I had a great teacher." Koishi fired back with a slight frown.

"Same question, girl." The head investigator said.

"I don't know what city," Koishi lied. "I just know it was a city."

Once again, Saitou stared hard at the young woman before he asked to his lackey, "Did you get that?" The other police officer nodded as he wrote that down on a piece of paper he carried. So the investigator continued, "Do you know the name of the person who bought you?"

"Nope."

Now everyone stared at Koishi, and even Megumi paused in wrapping the young woman's wrists to glance at her before she went back to her work.

"…You lived with the man for a year," Saitou emphasized. "And you never knew his name?"

"I can't pronounce it." she once again lied, but of course, she thought of the name "Hu."

"Fair enough." The investigator said as he puffed on his cigarette. "Final question; how did you get back to Tokyo?"

Oh no! Koishi inhaled deeply before she quickly thought and answered, "When I got back to Yokohama, I escaped to an inn owned by twins; their names are Gin and Kin." She did not really think anyone would go all the way to Yokohama to check her story. "They helped me, and I was able to get back to Tokyo."

It was very rare for the Wolf of Mibu to get frustrated, but he was just that as he gave a hard sigh and asked, "Is there any reason why you're not telling me the full truth?"

"Sorry," Koishi replied in Mandarin. "I don't know what you're saying."

Megumi finished wrapping the young woman's wrists and commanded, "Don't get the wraps wet." She got off the engawa, and Kenshin took her place next to his daughter.

"Koishi," he began with his gentle voice. "We only want to close your case, and if possible, bring those people to justice."

Koishi stared at her wrapped wrists and thought of Ju-Long and Huang. What happened to her could have been a lot worse than she would imagine, and to bring those two to Tokyo, to her family, was just not an option to her. Sure, her family was strong, but what if those two were stronger?

"…They were bad men." She finally said, talking about the first two mafia bosses, and not Enishi. "I don't want to talk about them."

Koishi looked up at Saitou and seriously saw sympathy in those amber orbs until he nonchalantly puffed on his cigarette and said, "Fine; if that's what you want. I will close your case now."

"Thank you." She replied with much relief.

The investigator stared down at her for a moment before he offered, "If you ever change your mind, you can contact me at the police station."

She raised one eyebrow but she shook her head, and Saitou nodded once and left the dojo grounds without anyone seeing him off the property. Kenshin was utterly perplexed that his former enemy did not press Koishi for more information. It was just so unlike the Mibu Wolf to just close a case so easily with only half truths and unanswered questions. He glanced at his wife and saw she was just as confused as he was.

Kenji sat next to his sister on the engawa and asked, "So, imotou-chan, what've you been up to this past year?" (Imotou-chan = little/baby sister)

"Getting into a lot of trouble." She answered. "You?"

"Can't complain." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Just curious, what is it like in China?" When she gave him a glance, he explained, "I mean, you're the first in the family to go that far west, which is why I'm asking."

Koishi took a moment before she answered, "Big and…scary."

"…Scary?" Kenji asked skeptically.

"I attracted a lot of trouble."

"How much trouble?" he challenged.

Everyone listened with quiet interest as the two conversed, and Koishi answered, "Okay…I gained the interest of one of…" She paused and wondered if she should say "mafia men," but thought against it and rephrased. "One of the men was interested in me, but as I was told, he just has a thing for Japanese girls."

"How is that trouble?"

"Oh, it's trouble." She emphasized. "So, what has everyone been up to this past year?" She directed her question towards everyone else.

And everyone muttered and shrugged their shoulders as they suddenly remembered they had other things to do. It was Sano who got the nerve to say, "Mostly looking for you." Koishi's eyebrows rose and he explained, "What I mean is, we looked for you until we learned you were in China, and at that point, we could only wait."

She inwardly flinched at that information but then asked, "Surely you all did something interesting other than look for me."

"Not really." Shinya said before he started towards the dojo; it was practice time.

"Well," Koishi started. "I learned something, while in China." Everyone stopped and looked at her, so she continued. "Trufully, are we onmitsu?"

There was utter silence until Sano chortled and then cracked up laughing with Yahiko in tow. Kaoru frowned at the two and then asked, "What makes you think that?"

Koishi shifted uncomfortably for a moment before she answered, "One of...the men in China said an onmitsu came looking for me." That caught everyone's attention and even Sano and Yahiko stopped their laughter; so she continued, "He said, I must either be very important, or I must belong to an onmitsu family."

"...Koishi," Kenshin began. "Uh, we're not onmitsu, but...um-"

"The weasle and ice man are." Yahiko interjected.

"Who?" the young woman asked with understandable confusion.

"Misao-san and Aoshi-san." Kenji finished.

Koishi's eyes grew wide and she practically yelled, "Misao-san and Aoshi-san are onmitsu?!"

"Is it really that much of a shock?" Sano muttered.

"I never concitered..." Koishi mumbled as her mind drifted. Of course she knew them, for they had come for the Sakura festivals countless times as she grew up. As a child, Misao loved to have her sit on her lap as they played the Sakura game of trying to catch the falling sakura pedals. Misao was good at it, too, but she remembered Aoshi was the best with reflexes so quick, if you blink, you miss it.

"Uh, Koishi," Kenshin tried again. "Do you know what happened to the onmitsu that went to look for you?"

Koishi's eyes grew wide and she remembered Huang's words to her when she was kidnapped. The handsome man was not merciful, from what she could understand, and if there was a traitor in his group, he would dispose of them.

"He..." she tried before she swallowed hard and tried again. "He said he sent him back to Japan, and he hoped he wasn't family to me, which makes me wonder what condition the onmitsu was sent home in."

It was silent again, until Kenji coughed once and muttered, "I think we better send a note to Misao-san and Aoshi-san."

"How does an onmitsu get caught, anyway?" Yahiko voiced.

Koishi shrugged her shoulders and explained, "According to that man, the onmitsu didn't send notice to his leader and tried to retrieve me himself. The ninja thought I was with that man when I was with another man..." She paused and thought how wrong that sounded but she ventured on. "And I wasn't at his place of residence, so that man must've...interviewed the onmitsu after he was caught."

"That's sloppy." Yahiko stated with a shake of his head.

"You know, what I don't understand," Kenji started. "How did you end up in Yokohama in the first place?"

"You know what I don't understand," Koishi countered. "How you-" She pointed to her brother. "And all of you-" She looked at everyone. "-know that Misao-san and Aoshi-san are both onmitsu, and I never knew!"

And her mother's temper won over her yet again.

"Koishi," her reasonable father started; as always he interviened when the two women in his life flared their tempers. "Being an onmitsu isn't something they brag about."

"Yes, I know; because they're spies for the Emperor!" She countered irritably. "And it's okay everyone else knows, but I'm kept in the unknown! Is there anything else I should know?!"

A trait Koishi loved about Enishi was that he never kept anything important about himself from her. He told her what she needed to know to form her own personal opinion of him, and with it, she grew to understand him. He never treated her like a child.

Now she was home, and she had her family back, but they continued to treat her like a child. It irritated her to no end, when just two days ago, she was an adult, able to make her own decisions, and yet they continued to treat her the same as when she left. She had learned to grow up in the past year, and they still saw her as the fifteen year old girl who had disappeared. In the words of Yukishiro Enishi, she was painfully sheltered.

Koishi blinked as tears of frustration filled her eyes, causing them to shimmer.

"Imotou-chan," Kenji started. "Is anything wrong?"

"Bitsuni," she stated with utmost sarcasm. "It's good to be home."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

A few days had passed, and the twenty student of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu were at the dojo practicing as much as possible before the days of the Sakura festivals. Kenji observed his mother's students as stand-in instructor. He looked critically at one particular student, whom had not improved in the month he had entered the school.

"Sedeki-san!" Kenji called.

All the students stopped their practice swings and the student came forward with a bow, from which he did not rise up from.

"What's wrong, Sedeki-san?" Kenji asked in a low voice. "You haven't improved since you've been here. If you're not into kenjitsu, then you can stop wasting my time and your time."

"I do want to learn kenjitsu, sensei." Sedeki stated. "I just have a hard time learning in large groups."

"Then I suggest you find a smaller school."

"Please, sensei, I want to learn here."

Kenji did not hold much hope for that particular student, but he turned his head and noticed Koishi carrying a water bucket, and that gave him an idea.

"If you can win against my sister," he said in a louder voice, and it caused the young woman to pause in her destination. "Then I will let you stay here."

Everyone's heads turned to look at Koishi, including Sedeki. She glared at her brother and indignantly yelled, "What're you bring me into this for?!"

"You're skills are probably less than his." Kenji taunted. "It would be a fair match."

Koishi promtly threw the water bucket at her brother, which he easily deflected with a swing of his bokken; not one drop of water touched him. She seethed, and said, through clenched teeth, "Wait there."

When she came back out, she was dressed in her mother's gi and hakama, and also, her mother's tabi and geta. Kenji could not help but smile to himself when he thought of how remarkably similar his sister was to his mother, especially when they dressed the same, and when they were angry.

Koishi held out her hand for a bokken, to which, Kenji handed her his own, and she turned to face the confused student, Sedeki. They both positioned themself so that they held their bokken out in front of them, with their right foot out first.

"Is this a point match?" Koishi fired her question at her brother.

"Several point match." Kenji answered and chuckled, "Go easy on her, Sedeki-san." He raised his hand and quickly brought it down.

Koishi moved first, her bokken raised, and Sedeki moved around to strike the young woman, but she quickly turned around and blocked it with her bokken. Several loud wooden clacks echoed in the air as they hit their wooden swords together, until Sedeki finally hit one of Koishi's wrapped, infected wrists.

She promtly hissed and released the bokken from her hands. She stood back up at she tenderly held one wrist.

"First point goes to Sedeki." Kenji stated.

"He hit my weak spot!" Koishi argued.

"Don't matter," big brother countered. "He still got the first point."

Koishi seethed again as she picked the bokken back up and glared at Sedeki's proud face. She will see him down in the dirt! They made their stance again, only Koishi held her bokken in front of her, with one hand on the blunt side. Even Kenji appeared confused when his sister made that stance as he raised his hand and brought it down.

Sedeki rushed the attack, and Koishi bent low to the ground so she avoided the first swing, and she brought her bokken up with her foot in tow. It struck Sedeki on the lower chest, and the wind was knocked out of him when she kicked her bokken on the blunt side, and the bokken went up, striking him on the chin.

Sedeki fell to the dirt with his hand to his chest while he coughed and gasped, curled up in fetal position. The other students' mouths were open while one student shouted, "That wasn't a Kamiya Kasshin move!"

Kenji was also shocked as he stared at his sister with disbelief, and Koishi stared at her apponent in horror.

"Is no one going to help him?!" she shouted.

Kenji called two students to carry Sedeki to Oguni clinc, and since many students had been treated there, they knew where to go. One student carried Sedeki's upper half while another student carried his lower half, and off they ran.

Kenji turned to the other students and said, "Everyone is dismissed!" As soon as everyone left, he turned to his sister and demanded, "What the hell was that, Koishi?!"

"Just something I learned in China." She muttered.

"That wasn't Kamiya Kasshin! You weren't supposed to use moves that aren't from this school during a match! You don't see me using Hiten Mitsurygi on the students!"

"I wanted him in the dirt for hitting my weakspot!"

"And you sure did a great job of that!" Kenji countered, causing her to flinch. "And you still don't see me doing that to the students!"

"You're just an exception, Kenji; our parents' shining pride and joy with the ability to learn any swordstyle just by hearing stories of it!"

"Oh, really, you spoiled sow! As if you're not daddy's little girl!"

"If you're going to call me a female pig, then at least get the terms right; it's sow if she's had piglets, and obviously I haven't had children, and gilt if she had not been bred, you idiot!"

"Who would want to breed with you?! Chūgoku ni narou to dareka!" Kenji fired back, earning him a strong slap to the face. (insulting term for someone trying to be Chinese)

Kenji, who had his face slapped towards the dojo gates, kept his face that way, even as the red mark appeared on his cheek, and Koishi turned to see their parents standing at the gates with very disappointed, angry faces. They obviously just got back from food shopping since they carried a lot of wooden food containers.

"What is going on here?!" Kaoru demanded and without waiting for an explination, she continued. "I see one of my students being carried off to Oguni clinic, and the ones left tell me Koishi caused it?!"

"It was a point match." Kenji explained. "Sedeki wasn't improving, so I thought, if he beats Koishi in a point match, then I'll let him stay. I just didn't know she was going to half-way kill him!"

"I wasn't aiming to kill him!" Koishi argued.

"With a move like that, it was an aim to kill!" Kenji countered. "No doubt, if you had a real sword, you would've killed him!"

Koishi stilled at that. Of course that move is used to kill; she had seen it performed so many times by Enishi, and when it strikes true, it is a lethal technique.

"But..." she stuttered in a low voice. "...I just wanted to hurt him. I wasn't aiming to kill him..."

"Koishi-" Kaoru tried, but her daughter turned and ran towards her room, not caring that she still had the geta on while she was on the engawa.

The sun had started to sink into the horizon with orange hues before Kenshin came to knock on the wooden part of the shoji.

"Koishi?"

Inside, Koishi inwardly groaned. Her mother had knocked on her shoji door, but unlike her mother, Japanese ediquette meant that she could not ignore the family patriach. He gave a small warning before he slid the shoji door open and stepped inside. He saw his daughter sitting in the same position he saw her on the engawa when she came back.

With the shoji door still opened, he sat next to her on the tatami mats, and asked, "So, what happened today?"

"Apparently, I almost killed Sedeki-san." Koishi answered.

"Kenji was just upset."

"No, he was right." she stated as visions of bloody, cut up bodies came to her mind. "I would've killed him if I had a real sword."

"But that's what Kamiya Kasshin teaches; the sword is to protect."

"No," Koishi encountered. "Swords are for killing."

Kenshin flinched at that and stared at his daughter with disbelieving eyes. Never once had he or Kaoru ever taught her that, and it shook him to hear her say such a thing.

"W...Where did you learn that?" he stuttered his question.

"Experience." Koishi simply answered.

Kenshin wondered what happened to her while in China for her to make such a statement. Did she kill someone while there? Is that the reason for her changed behavior? He shook his head at himself and thought it was ridiculous, for the chance of Koishi killing someone was as low as the chance of Kaoru killing someone.

"It's getting late." he noted. "Why don't you join me in the kitchen?"

He got up and left the room. Koishi knew that, even though it sounded like a request, it was more like a command. Whenever there was something bothering the Himura children, the family patriarch made it his duty to find out what it was. So, she also got up just to get it over with.

Sure enough, her father was there, cutting various vegetables to cook for dinner. Kenshin looked at his daughter and smiled, to which she returned.

"Are you interested in cooking?" he asked jestingly.

"Not just yet." Koishi said with a chuckle, and then her faced smoothed to seriousness. "Although—"

"Sorry," Kenji said after walked up the engawa with an annoyed look on his face. "But some investigator is here to talk to Koishi, and he is accompanied with Saitou."

"I didn't do anything wrong." She stated and looked at her father, whom was frowning in confusion. "Fine; I'll go see what he wants."

She walked down the engawa until she saw the older man, as usual, with a cigarette in his mouth. The other man was probably the same age as her father with a thin goatee. He wore a nice western suit with the usual western shoes; more than likely someone from the government. She slightly bowed to greet them, earned a bow from the nice suited man, and a puff on his cigarette from Saitou.

"Himura Koishi?" the nice suited man inquired, and the young woman nodded. He continued, "My name is Hiroshi, I'm an investigator in internal affairs. I need to ask you a few questions."

"Okay…?" Koishi agreed with confusion as her family and extended family gathered and watched on with curiosity. "Wait; why is everyone here?"

"Well," Yahiko started. "I'm here because I thought we had students this evening."

"I'm here," Megumi interjected. "because I need to ask you about Sedeki-san."

"I'm here because I have to escort the fox to and from the clinic." Sano stated casually. "Can never be too careful."

"And I'm here," Hiroshi said. "because your case was assigned to me as soon as it was acknowledged that you were in China. I'm from internal affairs."

"I keep telling you," Saitou reminded. "I closed her case already."

"First," Hiroshi started, ignoring Saitou, and Koishi inwardly gasped that the man dared to be rude to the Mibu Wolf. "During your disappearance the men who sold you were found. They belonged to an organization that worked during the spring, until the early summer. They would kidnap young girls and sell them off to various men. Do you remember how much you were sold for?"

Koishi wondered what her sold price had to do with anything, but she paused for a moment to think back to that time a year ago. There were so many voices jumbled together, and she was finally able to remember the auctioneer's voice, but she answered, "I don't remember."

Saitou calmly puffed on his cigarette as Hiroshi said, "Five hundred thousand five hundred Yen. That's a heavy price. Did you see any of the men who were present at the auction?"

"No; I was too busy trying to fight the two auctioneers as they held me down."

"Fair enough. So, about the Chinese man who bought you; do you know his name?"

Koishi frowned and asked, "What is this about?"

"I'm afriad the indistiguishable Fujita has left quite a few gaps open when he tried to close your case." Hiroshi answered. "I'm just here to fill them. Do you know the name of the person who bought you?"

"No."

Saitou smirked in satisfaction as Hiroshi stared at the young woman. "You knew him for a year, and you never knew his name."

"Whatever she says is her answer." Kaoru intervened. "You can't just make her talk."

Saitou merely glanced at Kaoru and Kenshin had a distinct feeling that the former Shinsengumi member was trying to keep information down to a minimum, but the reason behind it was beyond him. Saitou always had a no nonsense type nature and he investigated opened cases thoroughly.

"Which is why I'm here," Hiroshi stated. "To set the record straight."

Behind the man, Saitou sneered, and that was when Kenshin understood that his former enemy did not like this Hiroshi person very much.

"You know," Hiroshi interrogated. "Men who pay that high of a price for a girl are either stupid rich, a politican, or a member of a mafia branch." The young woman blinked at that. "Do you know which it was your purchaser belonged to?"

Koishi blinked and followed her facial expression with a frown.

"I'm asking these questions because these men must be brought to justice." Hiroshi reassured.

"China is not your jurisdiction." The young woman countered.

"Any men who come here to purchase young girls are accountable, foreign or not."

Koishi calmly got her Chinese cloth shoes on and stood next to the engawa.

"I don't know anything." She insisted.

She could see Saitou behind Hiroshi give the subtlest of nods as he snuffed out his cigarette under his shoe.

"You don't want to see this man who bought you and used you behind bars?" Hiroshi asked kindly.

"What's done is done." Koishi said, more to convince herself. "Let's just let it be and let me continue on with my life."

She was about to leave when the investigator asked, "Exactly how did you 'escape?' The whole story just sounds so strange to me."

"Oi!" Kenji exclaimed as he pointed a bokken at the man. "I think it's time you leave my sister alone!" Even after an argument, even still irritated with her, he still protected her.

"Kenji," Kenshin lightly scolded, and turned to the investigator. "We don't expect Koishi to remember that much, Hiroshi-san, that we do not."

"Indeed," Hiroshi said with an air of suspicion. "Then perhaps she could answer basic 'yes' and 'no' questions." He turned to the young woman. "Have you heard of Cheng?"

Koishi shook her head in a negative fashion, so the investigator continued, "Cong?" Again, she shook her head, even though she remembered that man as a politician, and Hiroshi said, "Hu?"

Koishi thought she had herself under control, but she visibly twitched only a fraction of a second when she heard the name, but it was enough for everyone to pick it up. Behind Hiroshi, Saitou rolled his eyes at her, and Hiroshi smiled patiently as if waiting for a lying child to finally tell the truth.

The silence dragged on until she finally said, "I never heard of him."

Hiroshi merely smiled and informed, "Hu is the third mafia leader of the Shanghai organization. Very little is known about him, save for his two associates, Huang and Ju-Long."

Koishi could not help but flinch at the other name mentioned, "Huang," and Hiroshi knew he was on the right track.

"You see," he continued. "Those three have been watched for a while, but we could never get anything solid on them. Do know anything of their businesses?"

For once, Koishi answered honestly when she said, "No."

"You never knew where they grow their opium?" Hiroshi asked skeptically.

She shook her head and lied, "I never heard of the three men you're talking about."

Hiroshi's face grew red with anger and Saitou smirked behind him. The investigator's eyes narrowed and he took up the appearance of a vulture about to land on its prey.

"There's something else, though; isn't there?" he sneered.

"What are you talking about?"

"I think you enjoyed being his little captive." He stated, tugging on her heartstrings. "Why else would you not have tried to seek help, or contact your family?"

"I am a realist, Hiroshi-san." Koishi said, her eyes narrowing into a deep glare. "I'm not going to go off, especially into a country I don't know, and don't know the dialects, taking myself from a bad situation, and putting myself into an even worse situation."

Saitou stared, amazed at how the girl could look so much like her father just by one facial expression. He knew, however, that Hiroshi was irritating her, and that was the irritating man's plan, so the investigator pressed on.

"There must've been at least one time, in the whole year, you could've contacted someone to tell them where you were."

"Do you seriously think I didn't try that?" she snapped. "I tried to run away when he was dragging me onto the ship! I tried to say something when I was on board, but I didn't know any Chinese dialect! I considered screaming, but he prevented me—"

"How could he possibly do that?"

"He kissed me in front of everyone; pulled me tightly to him and pressed his lips hard on mine. After that, everyone thought we were a couple. I went to the back of the ship as it was drifting out of the harbor, considered jumping, but I can't swim, so that wasn't going to work. While we sailed to China, I got seasick, I thought I could go get a bucket to vomit into, but simultaneously, tell someone who knew Japanese that I was a captive.

"He knew, somehow; I don't know how, it was like he could read my mind, but he got the bucket for me and I missed yet another chance. We got off the ship, and I looked everywhere for some chance to get away, but the city of Shanghai is a cruel and unforgiving place. I wouldn't want to be lost in that city without knowing any of the dialects. I had no choice but to follow him. I thought of telling one of his maids I was being held against my will, but I didn't know their dialect.

"Even later, I found out those maids were closely connected to mafia members, so I dared not tell them anything, or even ask them to deliver a message. I couldn't ask my purchaser's business partner, for obvious reasons, because he was loyal to my purchaser. There was a Chinese man, one of the mafia leaders, and I didn't like his interest in me. If I told him, then I would've put myself in a worse situation.

"There was a close friend to that creepy Chinese man, but I couldn't tell him, because he would just tell his friend. The final mafia leader was a cold, cunning man; I dared not tell him anything. I considered informing that man's wife, but she had an interest in my purchaser, and she would've used it to her advantage. As a cover, the man who bought me told his rivals that I was his lover. That was when I became deep into that organization with no way out.

"There was one time when we were in the Shanghai market, and my purchaser was distracted. I pretended to be interested in the items, when in reality, I was slowly making my way towards the mail office. I also got distracted by an item, paid for it, and stupidly showed large Yuan, and while I was trying to head towards the mail office, three men herded me into a blocked alleyway. He saved me from them.

"To sum it up, Hiroshi-san, I did try what I could, and don't you dare say I didn't try. I tried everything I could, but I got a reality check from my purchaser when he told me to forget about Japan, because even if I did go back to my family, they would always be in danger with me around them because the mafia knew my name, first only, and knew what I looked like."

Koishi breathed several times after her rant before she stated in a low voice, "…That was when… I gave up all hope of ever going back to Japan; back to my family."

"And yet you're here," Hiroshi reminded. "Nothing has happened to you, or your family."

She shook her head to dispute, "I can't take any chance."

There was a moment of silence as everyone took in Koishi's story, which was the most she said about it since she arrived five days ago. The silence was broken when the internal affairs investigator decided to play another scheme.

"Have you ever heard of a person named," Hiroshi paused in dramatic affect as he pretended to think of her name. "What was her name? …Bao."

Koishi shrugged even as the woman's image came to her mind; beautiful dark eyes and long, majestic ebony hair.

"Surely you knew The Mediator." Hiroshi insisted.

"I've heard of that title…" the young woman allowed herself to say.

"Of course," Hiroshi sneered. "The Mediator of the Shanghai mafia is Bao."

Koishi's heart stilled as she pondered over how this Hiroshi person knew so much about the Shanghai mafia.

Hiroshi's face became more pleasant as he insisted, "We know that those mafia leaders give opium to the women who become Mediators so they stay with them. Only you can help us save her."

Koishi missed the glare Saitou sent the international investigator, for her eyes were glazed over in deep thought. She sat down on the engawa with her legs hanging over the edge.

"Bao is Japanese." She informed. "When she was thirteen, her parents sent her to Kyoto to work. She was lured with the promise of a job with better pay. One of the Shanghai mafia bosses bought her and brought her to China. She's lived in China for so long she forgot how to speak Japanese."

Unseen to Hiroshi, Saitou shook his head, but Koishi could not figure out why. The investigator nodded once and asked, "Where, in Shanghai, do these men live?"

"I have no idea." That was the truth, and then another lie came, "I didn't stay in Shanghai. I only saw them during festivities."

Hiroshi pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and finger. Then he asked, "Were you a Mediator?"

"I'm sorry?" Koishi said with genuine confusion.

"Were you a Mediator?" the investigator asked with a sneer. "The Mediator is a woman shared with the three mafia leaders to use in any way they please for an entire month."

Koishi's face turned bright red and she gave her answer, "No, I was never a Mediator."

"You could've been groomed up to be another Mediator." Hiroshi accused.

"I was never going to be a Mediator!" the young woman defended.

The poor Kenshin-gumi could only watch the exchange with great confusion, as if both Koishi and Hiroshi spoke another language. It was quite obvious to them what a Mediator entails, but to have someone with accurate knowledge of the profession was something on a different level. It somewhat provided answers to questions they had been asking themselves.

"Were you ever slipped opium while you were in China?" Hiroshi interrogated.

Koishi stilled as the memory of her drinking game with Bao and Huang came back to her and she almost whispered, "I didn't know I was given opium at the time."

"Of course," he aspirated. "Which is why they slip it to the victim without them knowing. It is to train the next Mediator, and usually the first Mediator is present as instructor. Generally, it is slipped with a type of alcohol drink. The victim drinks it and it makes them feel wonderful and ready to copulate."

Koishi's face burned with embarrassment at the things Hiroshi said in front of her family no less, and she glared up at him as she half lied, "I never felt like that. I just got sleepy."

She was not going to confess to the stranger that she felt ready to copulate with Enishi and all but shamed herself by disrobing in front of him; the first time, anyway. The second time was when he finally gave in.

"Then," the investigator continued as if the young woman never spoke. "The man who bought the girl in the first place teaches her the basics of pleasuring a man before he presents her as another Mediator. The teaching process can take a few months, or as long as desired."

Koishi shook her head and insisted, "It never happened."

"Sure," Hiroshi said with sarcasm. "You never wanted any of it." With seriousness, he accused, "I bet that's why you're so tight-lipped; you enjoyed being their little whore."

It was Kaoru who jumped first; she grabbed the bokken out of her son's hand and would have wacked the internal investigator into next year had Kenshin not wrapped his still strong arms around her and held her back.

She did not, however, refrain herself from verbally assaulting Hiroshi with violent cuss words as she screamed them at him. Koishi, who also jumped up to defend herself, halted when she heard horrible verbal maiming coming from her mother's mouth.

Yahiko's mouth fell open in awe at the speech that flowed out from his instructor's voice as he whispered to Megumi, "I think Sano could take a lesson from busu."

Hiroshi glared at Kaoru after she was finished with her verbal lashing and he stated, "I can see that we're not going to make progress today."

As he turned to leave, Kaoru screamed, "Don't you dare come back to my dojo ever again! If I ever see your face on my property, you'll be deemed a trespasser and we have the right to kick your ass!"

"Of course," Hiroshi agreed with his nose turned up to the kenjitsu instructor. "What more can I expect from a fatherless woman who, during her unmarried days, allowed men to come and go through her property as they pleased?"

Kenshin released Kaoru and he stood in front of the whole group to prevent them from attacking the investigator. He tried to calm them down, but his usually soft voice was drowned out by their irate screaming and cussing at the man.

Saitou calmly placed an unlit cigarette in his mouth as he asked Koishi, over her family's screaming, "Is there anything you would like to add?"

"I will tell you right now," she said. "If I ever see that Hiroshi person, I will not be held accountable for my actions."

Saitou always had a "no nonsense" personality, and the few times Koishi interacted with the former Shinsengumi member, she could already sense that. She could not, however, try to explain exactly what happened; why Saitou would silently coax her to remain silent, even though she ran off at the mouth and basically said she was in Shanghai.

For once, Saitou allowed it to pass into silence and the young woman walked away from the chaos. The policeman pursed his lips, and only a moment later, he saw his former enemy walk towards him. The other family members dispersed to calm themselves down.

Kenshin looked behind him, to make sure no one heard, before he asked, "What did she say?"

"Very little." Saitou answered. "What you probably heard was that she resided with the some mafia group in Shanghai. We already know their names, but because she lived so close to them, that investigator will be back to demand more information."

Kenshin simply shrugged his shoulders and stated, "If we can't get her to talk, no one else will be able to."

"If she won't talk, willingly, soon, she would have to be forced to talk."

"Don't you dare threaten her!" Kenshin growled in a low voice.

"I'm not the one behind this, Battousai." Saitou clarified. "There were too many girls taken, too many had become witnesses; I'm afraid your own government officials are demanding an end to this underground organization. They had been in the works for years, but lately, they had grown sloppy. I believe the ones demanding an end to this mess are the ones with something to hide."

"You mean, the ones who were apart of the underground organization."

"Yes," Saitou agreed. "And they want to silence these girls; however, the government officials are shaking in their shiny western shoes because they know they screwed up when they unknowingly auctioned off your daughter."

"If it's so important to them, then get those two men in the Yokohama jail to give names."

"We would, if we could. You see, very powerful people are behind this organization, and they already silenced those two men."

"They're…they're dead?" Kenshin gasped.

"Of course they are. What else could've happened to them?"

It took a moment for the retired swordsman to process that, but after he did, he said, "I think it would be better if Kosihi remained silent."

"The government officials are out for blood, Battousai. The man who bought her was a man in the Chinese mafia, not a member of the government. They want to blame someone, and the fact that she lived among the mafia is just too easy for a scapegoat situation."

Kenshin closed his eyes to relax himself when he felt the stress start to build up. Saitou tilted his head one way, his neck popped, and he tilted it the other way pop his neck again.

"That Hiroshi person is more than willing to con your daughter into giving a name, even at the expense of her life." Saitou informed.

The retired swordsman frowned at that information, but only nodded his understanding.

"Of course," the policeman stated. "I'm starting to suspect there is something more to the story of how your daughter suddenly appeared again. She sure is going through great lengths to protect that guy."

"I know when you're hinting at something, Saitou. What are you hinting at?" Kenshin asked, almost irritably.

Saitou smirked cruelly and said, "I have seen many girls fall in love with their captors. Those mental doctors call it the 'captor delusion.' Maybe your daughter has it, and that's why she won't give a name. Maybe she's pining for him—"

"Get out." Kenshin commanded, not in a yelling way, but in a deep, dangerous way.

The policeman shrugged and showed himself off the dojo grounds. It took the redhead time to calm down before he returned to his family. He never liked to doubt his children. What Saitou and Hiroshi said about his daughter, however, struck a nerve. Maybe she just needs time before she answers their questions.

_To Be Continued..._

**AN:** Trouble just always follows Koishi around. Don't worry; it won't take long before Enishi gets back to Japan.


	20. Chapter 20

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 20_

"Is Sedeki-san alright?"

Megumi glanced at Koishi, who caught up with the doctor just before she was able to leave the dojo. The woman smiled kindly, and answered, "Yes, he'll be alright. He just won't be able to practice swordsmanship for a while."

"How bad is his injury?" the young woman asked with blantant guilt.

Megumi hesitated and she glanced at Sano, who shrugged his shoulders; but she answered, "He has a broken chestbone and chin."

Koishi placed a hand on her lowered face and said, with her voice muffled by her hand, "I didn't mean to hurt him that badly."

"I'm sure he'll forget about it." Megumi reassured. "How did you break his chestbone and chin?"

Koishi looked up from her hand and stuttered, "I, um, used a bokken, and the first strike was on his chest. Followed by a...uh, hit to the chin."

"Well now that I know which part of him was injured first, I can treat him better now." Megumi stated with a smile. "We have to be going now, but you take care of yourself, you hear?"

Koishi only nodded and Sano ran his knuckles on her head before he left with a, "See ya, Koi-chan."

The young woman shook her head at the closed the dojo gates before she had to return to the kitchen with her father; it was almost dinner.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Himura Koishi sat seiza in her room. The early morning mist was still low to the ground, and the cold still lingered, as it did every early spring, until the sun rose higher.

She had already gotten dressed, neatly folded up her futon and placed it against the wall of her room, and tied her hair back into a high ponytail. She allowed her ebony locks to frame the front of her face and even took the time to straighten them out.

She sighed quietly to herself as she took the extra time to relax before she started her day. She dug into the folds of her futon and pulled out her possessions she brought with her from China.

Six days had already passed since she had been returned to her family. She had tried to get back into her usual routine, but she just did not feel like herself. She stared sadly at the Chinese clothes she brought from China, and the hair décor he also had given her.

Koishi had her time of anger towards Enishi and her mind had screamed her raging questions. How dare he give her a choice and then take it away from her! Was it not enough that she chose him above all other people?! Was she not good enough to be with him?!

Was her love for him not enough?!

Her anger, however, had died down, and now she was left with nothing but unhappiness. She was exhausted when she got home from walking back to Tokyo, but the first thing she did was hide her traveling sack in the folds of her futon before she sat on the engawa to wait for her family to come home.

Koishi was not ungrateful; she was unspeakably happy to see her family again, including the friends that her parents acquired before her and Kenji were born. Simultaneously, however, she was secretly depressed when no one was around.

Sometime she quietly cried at night, longing for the white-haired man she had grown to love. She missed him deeply, and even missed China; although she suspected that she missed China only because she missed him.

She never told him how she felt, but Enishi was a person who had a gift of reading people, so she was sure he knew how she felt about him. She just decided if his "aijaku" was all he could give, then that was fine. She did not mind being loved in possession rather than nothing at all.

Through her depression, however, she had feelings of anger, for he gave her a choice, and she chose him. Then, he just decided to take that choice away, and make it for her. If only she knew the exact address to where he lived, she would have written a bless-out letter to him the moment she got home.

Although she was depressed at night, during the day, Koishi would smile and try to behave the same as she had before her kidnapping.

Of course, her family had endless questions, but she would always shake her head and remain silent. They did not force her to answer, but it troubled them that she would not utter a single word about anything, or give half answers.

She preferred to keep Yukishiro Enishi deep within the chambers of her heart, not to bring him up to the surface for everyone to know about. They did not know it, but she had thoroughly become his sole possession. She would never share him with anyone. As long as she behaved herself, she saw no reason why they should know anything else.

Besides, it hurt too much to even attempt to talk about him.

Koishi blinked herself out of her musings, placed everything back into their hiding places, and got ready for yet another day of pretending. She exited her room, slid her shouji door closed, and walked down the engawa. She paused when she saw her father with a tray of food.

Kenshin smiled and stated, "I thought you would like to eat something since you're up early."

Koishi had a sense of foreboding, but it put a heavy feeling of guilt in her stomach at the thought of refusing. After all, her father might have been up earlier than her to cook her something to eat. He probably was anyway because her mother was teaching at another dojo, so he probably cooked breakfast for her, too. She also had to remind her uncle, Yahiko, that he was to be acting instructor for the day.

So they calmly sat together on the engawa, and she slowly ate breakfast. Her father relaxed next to her as she ate; his ever present, albeit unused, sakabatou rested against his body. They enjoyed the silence together, but she had a feeling he was tormented with questions, and it wounded her to hold back those answers.

"Otottsuan," Koishi started after she finished her breakfast. "You were once a swordsman. Did you ever do something you deeply regret?"

Kenshin inwardly flinched at the irony. His daughter knew nothing about his past as Hitokiri Battousai. His son, Kenji, knew but he never had the heart to tell his daughter. She knew him only as a swordsman who fought on the side of the Ishin Shishi.

"Of course Sessha has done things he deeply regrets, that he has." He answered honestly.

"I mean, done things as a swordsman you regret." Koishi corrected.

"Yes, of course."

"Did you ever allow those regretful things interfere with you growing close to Okkasan?"

Kenshin cleared his throat before he answered, "At one point in Sessha's life, he's afraid he did."

Koishi looked surprised, but continued with, "How did you change?" as she stared at her bandaged wrists.

"…What made you so curious?" he asked kindly, and all he received for an answer was a shrug of her shoulders.

It bothered Kenshin, as well as Kaoru, that their daughter would not talk to them the way she used to. Before, she would talk to them about everything, tell them anything; but now, when they try to talk to her about anything regarding her kidnapping, or about China, she would become mute, or give half answers.

They tried to give her time, but it was as if she was fading away. They felt so powerless against their daughter becoming a stranger to them, and Kenshin wondered many times if Koishi had really come back to them.

"Ototsuan..." she tried, and finally continued her question another way. "Kenji is a good, strong name. It's a name that fits a son of yours, especially with your name being Kenshin." He wondered what she was getting at when she asked, "Why did you name me Koishi, a pebble? Did you just not have any good names in mind?"

"Sessha thinks 'pebble' is a good name for you, that he does." Kenshin insisted.

"A little, useless rock," Koishi pointed bitterly. "That has no purpose in life, except to be thrown about by other people. I suppose it is a good name for me."

Father and daughter stared at each other before he asked, "Do you know what happens when you throw a pebble into a calm river or lake?"

"It sinks." She answered.

That would explain her; she could not swim. Even though she was really young, she never forgot the time she followed Kenji and a few neighborhood boys to the river where they were swimming. She climbed up onto a thin tree branch, but it broke under her weight and she fell straight into the water below. She would have drowned then, but Kenji yanked her up by her hair and dragged her to the embankment.

Whenever she brought that incident up, big brother always insisted that he saved her only because their mother and father would be angry if he did not.

"Not because it sinks." Kenshin stated with a kind smile. "The ripples in the water the pebble creates. Sometimes a jolt from a pebble is all that is needed to get things going; to make fate happen. A small pebble is a power force." Koishi stared at her father for a moment, and his face grew solemn as he said, "Sessha knows that fathers tend to be a bit more attentive to their sons...but that doesn't mean we don't love our daughters any less."

Koishi did not know why, but a memory came to her mind. She always suspected that it was her earliest memory; right in front of the engawa where they sat, she remembered her father hoisting her up so she stood facing away from him, on his feet as he kept a gentle hold on her two tiny hands. He leaned over her as he used his feet to make her feet walk in little baby steps.

She looked up at him, unsure, and he smiled down at her with a beaming, proud smile and he said, "See? You're walking, Koishi-chan."

She remembered bits and pieces after that, before her memories grew stronger; whenever she fell, her father was always there with his hand held out to her.

"You know," he started. "If anything is bothering you—"

"Oh!" Koishi exclaimed. "I have to go! I'm supposed to go to Oguni clinic early to see about my wraps."

She quickly put her Chinese cloth shoes on, hugged her father, and bolted off the dojo property with a, "Thank you for breakfast, Otottusan!" as Kenshin, with sad eyes, watched her leave.

As Koishi walked towards Oguni clinic, Shinya, who was on his way to the dojo and saw her in passing, ran up behind her, and after he caught his breath, he asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see Megumi-sensei while she's still in Tokyo." She answered and flashed her wrapped wrists. "Hopefully I get these wraps off today."

"Why don't I walk with you?" he suggested.

"Did my Okkasan suggest that?" Koishi asked as she raised an eyebrow at her childhood friend.

Her mother, Kaoru, had been super protective of her since she came back. She could not go anywhere without an escort. If she tried to leave the dojo property, and no one was around, her mother would go with her.

"No," Shinya said with an amused chuckle, for he knew about his "aunt's" changed behavior. "This is of my own free will."

"Okay, but I see Megumi-sensei on my own; you can wait outside."

"No problem." He agreed. "So, what does Oba-san have planned for the Sakura festival?" (Oba-san = Aunt)

"The usual; picnic outside, under the Sakura trees."

"You know, we almost didn't have a celebration this year. It definitely wouldn't have happened if you didn't come back."

When they arrived at Oguni clinic, Shinya sat in the outside room while Koishi went to a room and waited her turn for treatment.

"Koishi-chan!" Megumi exclaimed when she entered the room. "I'm sorry for the wait; that stupid rooster had done it again, and messed up his hand. I'm afraid there's no cure for stupidity."

Koishi laughed softly and greeted, "Megumi-sensei; it's good to see you again."

"Oh, please; just Megumi is fine. What're you here for?"

Koishi held up her wrists, and the doctor gave a single nod before she sat across from the young woman and began to unwrap the bandages. After she was done, Megumi carefully held Koishi's wrists and looked them over.

"They healed very well." the doctor said with a nod. "I think they'll need one more treatment, however."

Koishi stared at her wrists. The raw-red was alomst gone, and only a little indentation scaring remained. She put watched as Megumi cleaned them up with that smelly liquid, which burned the first time, but now it did not, and started to wrap her wrists.

"The ropes must've been too tight." Megumi conversed.

"They were." Koishi allowed herself to agree.

"You know, Koishi-chan," the doctor began. "Your parents are very worried about you."

"Did they ask you to talk to me?" she sighed.

"No, this is due to my own concern. I've seen so many women go through the same thing you're going through."

"They've been kidnapped, too?"

"No, Koishi; raped."

Koishi blinked, and suddenly realized that her family and friends have assumed the worst had happened to her. Of course, she could not blame them, for that happened to all the girls sold in the underground market. Her personal case was just an exception.

"As I said, your parents are very worried about you. I understand that women who have been raped don't want to talk about it, even just a little; but you need to talk to someone about what happened, otherwise you'll slowly isolate yourself from everyone."

"No one understands." Koishi murmured.

"They will understand if you talk to them."

"No, I mean, no one understands why I keep silent. I made a nonverbal promise to never say anything about where I was and who I was with."

Megumi remained silent and then gave a slight nod in understanding.

"I know what you're going through." She stated.

"You do?"

"Yes; I was once kidnapped by a very high and powerful crime leader whom forced me to create cheaper opium. It went out on the streets and started to kill people. I atone for that crime by saving as many lives as I can by being a doctor."

"I never knew you were also a kidnapped victim." Koishi said in a low voice. "How did you escape?"

"Your father, Ken-san, saved me from that terrible man. I am forever indebted to him. So trust me when I tell you I understand. And your parents will, too."

Koishi swallowed before she forced herself to say, "No they won't, because I was released, not rescued." Megumi paused in wrapping her patient's wrist and she glanced up at the young woman, so she confirmed, "He let me go; I didn't escape."

"He?"

"The man who bought me."

Megumi finished wrapping Koishi's wrists, and the doctor allowed herself to comment," That was...nice of him."

Koishi sensed something underlining the doctor's voice, but she could not name it. She looked down at her perfectly wrapped wrists, and said, "Thank you, Megumi-sensei."

When she left, Shinya followed in suit, and suggested, "Why don't we eat at Akabeko? My parents are there, and I'm sure they'll love to see you."

"I already ate breakfast."

"Just sit with us then." He insisted.

"Alright," she said. "I have to tell your dad something anyway. But you have to come with me so I can get a pair of geta."

Shinya looked at Koishi's feet, and sure enough, she wore Chinese cloth shoes, even though she wore a blue kimono. She said it was tacky, but she wore it together anyway because she ran out of changshan to wear.

"...Alright." Shinya unwillingly agreed.

They got to the Akabeko, which was not yet opened, but Shinya and Koishi went in through the back. In the dinning part of the restaurant, Yahiko and Tsubame ate breakfast before they had to start their work day.

"Ototsuan," Shinya greeted. "Okkasan."

"Shinya!" Tsubame said with a smile. "We thought you wouldn't stop by today."

"Unfortunately," Yahiko started. "We ate all the breakfast."

Shinya made a sour face and mumbled, "Maybe I'll go to Kamiya dojo for lunch."

Tsubame smiled at Koishi and greeted, "Koishi-chan, you were accompanying Shinya?"

There was some sort of expectation in her voice that made the young woman's eyebrow twitch, but she laughed and answered, "He was accompanying me to the clinic."

"Did you get your wraps off today?" Yahiko asked with his mouth full of food.

"No, I had another treatment."

"Regardless," Tsubame said good-naturedly. "It's always good to see you, Koishi-chan."

"Thank you, Oba-san." the young woman said.

"Otooji," Koishi said to Yahiko. "Okaasan is at another dojo for the day, and she needs you to fill in for her." (Otooji = uncle, from a parent's younger sibling)

"Oh, that's right." Yahiko agreed. "She told me a few days ago, but I forgot."

"And she asked me to remind you." the young woman said with a small laugh.

"Alright." Yahiko said as he stood up. "Let's go to the dojo."

She left with the Myoujin men, Yahiko and Shinya, as they made their way towards Kamiya dojo. She did not know why she looked to her right, but it seemed the fates were bound to stir up her life once again. The path, in which they had to walk in order for her to get home, which they were headed towards anyway, had two foreigners, and they walked down the same path on the opposite side.

Koishi's eyes widened with immense fear as she recognized the two men; the pig-like man, and the Japanese-like man. Her heart pounded as half her mind raced with questions while the other half raced for a way out of the situation.

She grabbed her "uncle's" hand tightly with her trembling hand. He looked at her with great surprise as she turned to face him; her skin pale, her eyes wide with fear as she force herself to whisper, "No matter what happens, you don't know me!"

Before the Myoujin men could ask any questions, Koishi turned to walk away, but only got a few feet before the pig-like man noticed her and said, in Japanese, "I know you!"

She jumped a bit, but she buried her anxiety deep within her, put on a pleasant façade, and greeted, "Gang-san; it's a pleasure to see you again."

"Koishi-san," Gang greeted with a bow. "I'd recognize your unique eyes anywhere."

"You flatter me, sir." Koishi said with a tight-lipped smile.

"Where is—" Gang began as he looked around.

"He is not here, sir." Koishi interrupted. "He allowed me some time in Japan, but I will inform him that you wished to speak with him."

"There's no need." Gang said.

"Family of yours?" the other man, Feng, asked, in straight Japanese.

Koishi glanced at the family with an aloof expression and answered, "No; just restaurant workers. It's good to see a familiar face, Feng-san."

"Indeed," Feng agreed with a tight smile. "It's good to know you're alive…and well."

She knew it was a threat, and her heart pounded harder with anxiety even as she allowed a tight-lipped smile at the man she thought was Enishi's allay.

"Yes, I am."

"Well, that's good to know." Feng said with false delight. "The master has been quite snappy and moody since you've been gone."

"Your Japanese has dramatically improved." Koishi falsely complemented, her suspicion rose within her. "It's like you've been speaking it your whole life."

She specifically remembered that Feng never once spoke Japanese while she was in China. How is it he knew how to speak it so fluently?

"It's amazing isn't it?" he sneered.

"A miracle." She agreed.

Feng's expression darkened, but was oddly delighted as he promised, in Mandarin, "He won't be able to save you this time."

"Now, Feng ," Gang scolded with an air of pleasantness. "Let's not make her feel uncomfortable." He said to the young woman, in Mandarin, "My master would be most pleased to see you...and your family."

She knew that it was a warning, and not a request. He knew that she knew the two men behind her, and she could not save them if he wished them harm. All he needed was her cooperation.

Koishi said nothing back, and as the two men started to leave, in front of the entire Myoujin family, Gang said in plain Japanese, "Give my regards to Yukishiro-san."

_To Be Continued..._

**AN:** I'm going on a four day mini vacation this weekend, so I decided to post this chapter early. I'm going to post one more before I leave, and then after that, the next update will be next week.


	21. Chapter 21

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 21_

There was blood everywhere as he kicked his now dead apponent off of his blade with his now bloodied Western shoe. The scene was a normal person's nightmare, but a sadistic man's paradise. It was almost like art, the way the bodies were laid out in various places with red blood splattered everywhere. It was like painting the walls in his victim's blood.

There was one particular man on the floor who dared to cough, blood spurted out his mouth, and he inhaled in a gasp. The murderer calmly walked over to the coughing man and used his shoe to flip the man over onto his back. He then pressed the blade of his weapon onto the throat of his soon-to-be next victim.

"I must admit," the man exclaimed. "That was quite a rush, Ju-Long."

The one on the bloody floor, Ju-Long, coughed a bit before he started laughing. The man with the weapon raised an eyebrow at his victim's parcular behavior as his now dark eyes silently observed him.

"We...already have...a head start." Ju-Long choked out.

"Would you care to elaborate that before I kill you?"

Ju-Long choked on a laugh again as more blood filled his mouth, and he spit it out. Then he explained, "A desperate investigator...in Japan...sent a message to all known maifia bosses...from Tokyo...asking if anyone...knew a girl who curiously...(cough) had the same name as your girl." He laughed some more as the hand of his assailant shook. "So...Huang already left...just as you came back...so he already has...one day's head start."

As Ju-Long laughed his last victory, Yukishiro Enishi simply said, "I've had enough of you." And he raised his watou and gave it a swing. The laughing man's head was decapitated from his body and it rolled across the slippery floor.

He had to get back to Japan quickly!

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"Yuki…shiro…?" Yahiko managed to squeak out once the two Chinese men were well out of sight.

"You didn't hear that name." Koishi insisted with much desperation. "And please don't say anything!"

Yahiko could not retort as he stood, in utter shock, while his muddled mind attempted to process the new information. It might be a different Yukishiro. Then again, how many men with the name "Yukishiro" have white hair, wear Chinese clothes, live in China, specifically Shanghai, and are members of the Chinese mafia? He could only think of one.

After he realized that, Yahiko started to fill with questions. Did Koishi not know who Yukishiro Enishi is, in relation to Kenshin? Was she not saying anything to her parents because she was trying to protect them from the truth; that she had been a madman's play toy for nearly a year?

Yahiko shook his head as he barely registered his son say to Koishi, "Let's walk you home."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The dojo was filled with sounds of wooden clangs as students practiced as they waited for their teacher of the day to arrive. Yahiko walked through the dojo gates with Shinya and Koishi in tow. As soon as Kenji saw the instructor in charge, he gave a single command for the students to stop, which they did immediately.

With distant eyes, Yahiko softly requested to his son, "Shinya, can you be the instructor for just a bit while I speak with Kenji? And, Koishi, why don't you spar with the other students?"

"Why?" Shinya was the first to inquire. "Are you just going to pass your duty onto me again-"

"Why can't you do as I say?!" Yahiko snapped.

All three observers, Shinya, Koishi, and Kenji jumped at Yahiko's less than rational behavior. He rarely yelled or snapped at his son in such a manner and it was something scary to behold.

Yahiko placed a hand on his face as he breathed several times to calm himself before he spoke again, "It's just for a while until I speak with Kenji."

Shinya did not argue this time, although he did not say anything as he turned and walked towards the twenty dojo students with Koishi leaving to change into a spare gi and hakama. No doubt Shinya's feelings were hurt, not to mention his pride, especially when his father yelled at him in front of Koishi and Kenji; the twenty other students more than likely heard it, too.

Kenji frowned, perplex, and asked, "Are you alright, Yahiko-san?"

A brief moment passed before the elder man asked, "Is Kaoru here?"

The young man frowned even more and answered, "She's at another dojo today...remember?"

Oh, yes, that was why he was there at the dojo and not working at the Akabeko. Yahiko blinked at the fog in his mind before he asked, "How about Kenshin?"

"Ah," Kenji started. "He was called to the police station regarding a case."

"Is it a case related to Koishi?"

"Seriously...what is this about?"

Yahiko took a moment to gather his thoughts swimming around in his muddled mind. There was a possiblitly that it was not the person he suspected. The thought of Koishi being owned by Yukishiro for nearly a year was enough to make him want to revert back to his childish days and drown himself in sake.

"There..." he tried, and then started again. "While Shinya and I were walking Koishi home, there were two men we came across, and they knew Koishi. Sometimes they spoke Chinese, and other times they spoke Japanese. Anyway, they mentioned the man who bought her. I think I know who it is."

"Who is it?" Kenji pressed.

"Yukishiro Enishi." It almost gave Yahiko a bitter taste in his mouth to say that man's name.

The young redhead frowned thoughtfully and stated, "Yukishiro...where have I hear that name before?"

"...Tomoe?" Yahiko suggested, since the first name "Enishi" did not seem to be familiar to the young man.

"Yes!" Kenji declared as his face lit up with recognition. "Ototsuan told me he used to be married to a woman named Yukishiro Tomoe."

"So, then you know about Kenshin's past." Yahiko stated.

The redhead nodded once and then inquired, "So what does that have to do with anything?"

"Kenshin never told you that Tomoe had a little brother named Enishi?"

Kenji pursed his lips before he answered, "No, he never mentioned him."

"So then, you don't know about Yukishiro's revenge on Kenshin?"

"What?" The young man asked with genuine surprise. "When did that happen?"

"Oh boy." Yahiko breathed. "Okay, just to make a long story short. After the death of his sister, Tomoe, Yukishiro abandoned Japan and sailed to Shanghai where he lived for ten years. There, he became the leader of a mafia branch, and he began his revenge plot against Kenshin. Yukishiro came back, executed his plan, faked Kaoru's death, and it almost worked in killing Kenshin, except he snapped out of it. We went to the island where Yukishiro kept Kaoru, and they had their final battle there. After Yukishiro was arrested, Kaoru gave him Tomoe's diary, but the guy escaped his arrest and we never saw him since."

Kenji paused to absorb the story, and he suddenly pointed out, "Wait, that guy...Yukishiro, and Okkasan were on an island together?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Alone?"

"Don't think like that, Kenji!" Yahiko scolded. "Kaoru's not like that. It took Kenshin seven months before he could finally approach her because she so damn prudish!"

"Okay, forget it." Kenji said as he raised his hands up in defense. "Anyway, why do you thnk it's that guy who bought Koishi?"

"Because one of the men said his name."

"So, you just assume-"

"What're the odds, Kenji?!" Yahiko practically lashed out. "What other man, with the name 'Yukishiro,' is in the Shanghai mafia and is Japanese?"

The young man paused before he nodded, "Yes, it is quite circumstantial, I agree; but the odds that it's the same man from...what? Sixteen years ago?"

"Eighteen years ago." Yahiko correct before he continued. "I know the odds would be against it, but...I just have a feeling it's probably him. What if Koishi knew and that's why she's not saying anything?"

"No chance. She doesn't know anything about the dark past of Ottotsuan."

"...What if he knew her?"

"There's a possibility there." Kenji allowed himself to agree. "So, what now?"

"I want to talk to Kaoru and Kenshin about this."

The young man half flinched at that and said, "I knew you were going to say that. Can you wait until after the Hanami picnic to tell them?"

"That's a week away." Yahiko pointed out. "And that's very selfish of you."

"Not because of the food!" Kenji almost lashed out with indignity. "Do you not realize that Ottotsuan and Okkasan haven't had a time to relax for practically a year? I just want to give them that much before you tell them something like that!"

Yahiko inwardly agreed, and said, "Fine; I won't say anything, but afterwards, if Koishi hasn't said anything, then I will."

Kenji could only nod and agree to the terms.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

They were scheduled for a Hanami picnic; the Himura family and their friends were to attend. While she got ready, Koishi looked over her various kimonos. Most of the kimonos she wore once belonged to her mother. She sighed, not satisfied with her selection, and opted not to go, but then she realized that would hurt her family. She plopped herself down on the tatami floors of her room and sniffed before the tears flowed out her eyes.

Koishi had, a few times, told Enishi that the Sakura festivals were the best in Tokyo, and even said they could go see them. That was supposed to be the current season. She often fancied during the day that she would go out to the view the cherry blossoms, and she would see him standing under a blossom tree, dressed in a gorgeous changshan, and they would enjoy the festivities together.

Her fantasy always ended with them together, as a couple, or as lovers; she never cared which it was, for she would have him any way he wanted. If he only loved her as his property, then she would accept it, for it would be better than the current state she was in; deep, painful longing for him. At least she would have him in her life.

Now, however, she had no choice but to accept that he did not want her, that he did not love her, even as his sole property. He had basically thrown her away, abandoned her in Japan. Granted, she had family that loved her there, and she hated herself for being so selfish, for wanting a man who never proclaimed love to her, other than a jealous, possessing love, when she had a wonderful family who loved her unconditionally. Koishi often felt like she was torn in half; one half still with her family, and the other half longing for Enishi.

She sighed at herself and built up her determination. She had to pull it together for her family. Her mother had bought her a grand kimono and a pair of new geta just for this festival. Koishi put her inner, white gi on and then pulled out the new kimono, specifically for the Hanami picnic; it was a dark purple kimono with gold blossoms embroidered on the fabric. She must admit; her mother a good taste.

After she put the kimono on, Koishi dug into the folds of her futon and pulled out the items she brought from China. There was what she sought; the hair decor Enishi gave her as a gift. She only wore it once, but it would be festive enough to wear it again. Besides, she felt closer to him when she wore things he gave her. She gathered her ebony locks, twisted them together, and pinned it up with the hair decor.

Koishi smiled to herself, and got up to start the festival.

Her father waited for her outside while everyone else went ahead to set up for the picnic. He smiled peacefully as a nice breeze gently passed by. Kaoru had forgotten the bento box lunches, so he went to get them and he decided to wait for his daughter as well.

He turned around with a smile when he heard a shouji door slide closed. No doubt Koishi had Kaoru's beauty, and even the neighborhood boys took notice, much to Kenji's irritation. Big brother made it his duty to scare away all potential suitors, and Shinya joined in, although Shinya's reasons were more personal than Kenji.

"Are you ready, Koishi?" Kenshin asked.

"Hai, Ototsuan." Koishi answered as she put her geta on.

Kenshin smiled with a father's fondness until he noticed the hair decor in her ebony hair, and that smile faded as his violet eyes grew wide with recognition. Before a person could bllink, he grabbed the hair decor out of Koishi hair and stared at the two-prong wood, the two ruby-red beads, the two green leaves, and the four gold tastles dangling from the wood.

"Hey, Ototsuan!" Koishi complained in a type of winy voice.

Kenshin ignored her as he turned to his daughter and practically demanded, "Where did you get this?!"

Koishi slightly frowned in confusion as she looked from her father, to the hair decor, and back to her father again before she answered, "It was a gift."

"A gift from who?!"

She frowned more and took a step back. She never feared her father, for he never did anything to frighten her, but currently, he was flat out scary! Kenshin noticed Koishi's fear, so he closed his eyes and breathed a few times before he calmed down.

"Who gave this to you, Koishi?" he asked again in a more placid tone.

Koishi swallowed and allowed herself to relax before she answered, "It was just a gift from a friend."

Kenshin, now more reasonable, stared at the errily familar hair decor in his hands and he gently held it. There was no possibility, or reasonable explination, for his daughter to possess the same one he thought of.

The last time he saw one just like it was when he visited Tomoe's grave one last time, with Kaoru; but she would not have taken it. The other possibility would be that the person who gave it to Koishi was the person who placed it on Tomoe's grave in the first place, but that was not a possibility, either. The Japanese people, although a very reasonable people, believed strongly in the power of the ones who have died. No one would ever think to rob a grave, and the hair decor would be concitered a robbery if it was the same one. The only logical explination was that the hair decor was just remarkably similar to Tomoe's hair pin.

"I'm sorry." Kenshin apologized. "It's just that, I saw one just like this on my...friend's grave."

Koishi then became more sympathetic. No wonder her father was practically freaking out; if she had a hair decor that looked similar to one that he saw on a grave, of course he would become concerned.

He handed it back to her with a kind smile and noted, "It's vintage; they don't make those anymore. So take good care of it."

Koishi nodded before she pinned her hair back up with the hair decor and they were off to the Hanami picnic.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

It was a beautiful day; the weather was cool and crisp with a nice breeze from the sea, and the sakura had bloomed into a blur of pink and white. The sweet sent from the petals filtered through the air as they littered the ground as if it snowed cherry blossoms.

Kaoru, Kenji and their friends were already enjoying their company together. They still had not touched their food since everyone had not arrived yet; Megumi was tending to one last patient, and Yahiko and Tsubame were getting a huge food basket together. Aoshi and Misao could not make it to Tokyo this year.

The chosen spot was not too far from the dojo, which was always their usual spot.

"We brought a lot of food this time." Tsubame informed when they walked up to the group.

Yahiko and Shinya carried the bulkiest baskets, and they quickly placed them on the ground. After a few huffs, Yahiko said, "We brought plenty of bento boxes."

"That's good," Kaoru agreed. "At least we won't lack food this time."

"Yea," Kenji chipped in. "Last year we couldn't get Shinya to stop stuffing his stupid face."

Shinya, like his father, always brought a bokken, and he pointed it at his best friend and said, "You take that back!"

"Yea," Kenji said, and he pointed his bokken at the young man, even though he had a sakabatou at his side. "Right after we stop guarding the food!"

While the two young men fought with their bokkens, Tsubame glanced around and asked, "Where is Koishi-chan?"

"She's coming soon." Kaoru said. "We forgot some bento boxes, so Kenshin went to get them and I suspect she'll help him."

"I'm sure they'll be fine." A voice behind the group comforted. "I hope I'm not too late."

"Megumi-san, ano, sensei." Kaoru greeted.

"Oh, please; you can drop the 'sensei.' I assure you its fine." Megumi said as she placed a food basket down.

After moments passed, Kenji and Shinya calmed down enough to stop their spar. They wiped perspiration off their foreheads and huffed a few minutes.

"Great," Shinya groaned. "Now I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry, you bottomless pit." Kenji jested.

"Wow!" Shinya exclaimed quietly. "That's beautiful!"

"What is?" Kenji asked.

Kenji turned his gaze in the direction Shinya was looking at, and his eye widened in disbelief. His sister, Koishi, walked up the pathway towards them dressed in a dark violet kimono with gold blossoms, and her long ebony hair braided and pinned up with a Japanese hair décor.

Shinya smiled and bowed to Koishi, and in return, she gave him a bow.

"That is great!" he exclaimed, enthusiastically.

"Yea...great. You look just like a faceless Geisha." Kenji said, less enthused.

"Shut up!" Koishi snapped, and caused her brother, her friend, and herself to jump. She cleared her throat in embarrassment and stated calmly, "Are we late?"

"No." Shinya answered with a large smile on his face. "We were waiting."

Kenshin had already brought another collection of bento boxes to the food collection and he sat next to his wife. Koishi nodded once and carried the rest of the food to the center of their circle.

Shinya watched Koishi as she walked away and Kenji gave him a wack to the head with his bokken as he commanded, "Don't look at my sister!"

"What?" Shinya exclaimed innocently. "I was just admiring her, like someone admires a work of art."

"Then stop admiring!" Kenji commanded again.

"I can't help it."

"Control yourself, then."

"Oniisan," Koishi started after she put the food down. "Can you do me a favor, please?" Without waiting for a response, she charged on, "Can you please get a girlfriend so you can stop taking charge of my life?"

Shinya chortled and then started laughing as Kenji gave his sister a death glare.

Everyone enjoyed the day together with what seemed like never-ending peace. They ate with the scent of Sakura in the air, talked about good times, and laughed. Koishi then challenged Kenji and Shinya to one of the Sakura games of catching a single cherry blossom pedal in the air. She laughed when Shinya almost fell over, but he caught one. Kenji was able to catch a single pedal with precession, and Koishi had to try several times before she caught one.

They were enjoying another round of their game, with the rest of the older adults enjoying their conversations, when a familiar silhouette came walking up the pathway. It was not uncommon for people to walk on the path, for they saw a few pass by during their picnic. Koishi saw that person from her periphrial vision and paused from trying to get a cherry blossom pedal.

The person, a woman, was petite with very long ebony hair and doe-like dark eyes. The woman's eyes instantly lit up with recognition when she saw the young woman sitting seiza on the ground, surrounded with cherry blossoms.

"Is that you, Koishi?" She asked in Mandarin.

Koishi grew very tense upon seeing the Shanghai mafia's Mediator, but she gave a wobbly smile and answered in the same language, "Yes, it's me, Bao."

"I thought it was you." Bao said pleasantly. "The last time I saw you was-"

"The Dragonboat Festival." Koishi finished.

The woman wore a gorgeous kimono, sky-blue in color, constrasting perfectly with her ebony-black hair and doe eyes, and the kimono was embroidered with emerald-green Chinese "luck" symbols. Simultaneously, Koishi kept glancing about for a Shanghai mafia boss, for Bao was never left alone for very long.

"Who is that woman, Koishi?" Kaoru asked as everyone stared at the beautiful woman.

The young woman cleared her throat and answered, "That is Bao."

Even though the young woman did not offer further information, everyone remember the conversation she had with Hiroshi, and remembered when they talked about a certain Mediator named Bao.

"Bao," someone called out and Koishi recognized the voice; fear took ahold of her body as that man approached. "I was just..." He paused when he saw the young woman and he smiled. "I know those eyes; Koishi!"

The young woman swallowed despite her suddenly parched throat and greeted, "Huang-san."

The handsome Chinese man looked at the other members present and asked, "Family of yours?"

"No."

"Really?" Huang said with a disbelieving smile, especially when he stared at Kaoru. In response, Kaoru also tensed up and shifted closer to Kenshin, whom stared at the man with an unwelcomed, suspicious stare.

"They're not related to me." Koishi insisted. "So, why are you here?"

"Oh," the mafia boss began with a slight chuckle. "I'm here strictly on business, but I came here, to this spot, to see the Sakura Festival...after all, you told me the best place to see it was Tokyo."

Shit; she had said that! Did she just give herself away because she merely told him that the Sakura Festival was best in Tokyo?! Wait, why did he also bring Bao?!

"Well," Koishi began. "If you're here on business, I would hate to take up more of your time."

It was an obvious dismissal, but Huang was not a man taking kindly to rejection. Even though he smiled, he had a darkened look to him.

"Do you mind if we enjoy a Tokyo pastime with you?" he asked persistantly.

"We were actually just finishing up." Koishi answered, now switching to Japanese. "I'm sorry you caught us on the tailend of the festival."

Bao glanced at Huang out of the corner of her eye, and he smiled pleasantly and said, also in Japanese, "Of course; sorry to disturb you." The duo turned to walk away, but the handsome man paused as he declared, "Oh!" He turned back around and stated, "I just wanted to ask you a question." He squatted behind Koishi, causing her to jump, as he placed two gentle hands on her shoulders, and he stared over her toward Kaoru and asked, in Japanese, "Your mother; does she have pretty breasts like you do?"

"OI!" Kenji declared as he rose to his sister's defense with his hand to the sakabatou at his waist.

The rest of the group also jumped to their feet in defense just as Huang kissed Koishi's cheek and he also rose to his feet. He bowed towards the group with a chuckle deep in his throat and he walked away with Bao in tow.

Kenji, always a hothead, was about to persue the man when Koishi jumped to her feet and stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"Don't stop me, Koishi!" he stated.

"No!" the young woman refused and held tighter. "You don't know if he's a good fighter!"

"I'm going to demand that he apologize for humiliating you!"

"As much as I would love that," Koishi reasoned. "It's not worth your life!"

Kenji was about to snap a comment at her when their father interjected, "She's right, Kenji. Let it go."

"So he gets away with humiliating your daughter?!" Kenji argued.

"Let it go," Kenshin said before he added, "For now."

That made everyone pause, and Kenji stared at his father and saw that he was indeed very angry. He knew his father had a far superior level of restraint than any man he came across, so he relaxed his stance and his sister released her hold. His father said to let it go, for now, so for now, he would let it go, but he would find a way to make that man apologize to his sister.

"Koishi," Kenshin began with a no nonsense tone. "Who was that?"

The young woman inhaled a deep breath before she answered, "Huang Shi, one of the Shanghai mafia bosses."

"Why would he be here?" Yahiko voiced the question everyone thought of.

"He said he was here on business." Koishi translated.

"But Tokyo is a pretty clean city." Kaoru stated.

"Maybe," Yahiko started. "He's here to do business with some corrupt politicians. We all know there's plenty of them here."

"So why did you stop me, Ottotsuan?" Kenji asked and the annoyance in his voice was obvious.

"He reminds me of Soujiro." Kenshin answered. "Only much more...sinister."

"I think it would be best if we left now." Koishi suggested and everyone seemed to agree, so they started to gather their items. All she could think of was how she was like a poison to her family, and she could get them all killed one day.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Kaoru sighed heavily and sat up from a laid down position. Her husband slept peacefully next to her in the futon they shared. Her mind just would not stop thinking and swirling with various thoughts.

Did that man, Huang do something bad to Koishi while she lived in China? Kaoru refused to mentally complete that thought. She was, however, determined to stand alongside her daughter no matter what happened. Still, the thoughts kept coming.

"Kaoru," a supposedly sleeping Kenshin lightly scolded and caused Kaoru to jump. Of course he would not sleep while she was still awake. It was his nature, his other sense, which denied him sleep while she was still awake; that utter protective side of him.

"Gomen nasai, Kenshin." Kaoru apologized as the guilt rose within her due to her being the reason why her husband was not yet rested. "I just can't seem to sleep. I promise I'll be fine; you just sleep."

Kenshin sat up in their futon and said, "I have dealt with many nights such as this when Koishi was gone. By now, I would have to say I'm used to them."

Kaoru looked down as she worried her hands together. She should have known better than to believe that her husband would sleep all those nights when she could not rest.

"What has you so uneasy?" Kenshin asked kindly. Besides the fact that some stranger just humiliated their daughter in front of everyone...

"Koishi, obviously." Kaoru answered. "She's finally home after nearly a year absence, but…I wonder, sometimes, if she…really came back to us."

Kenshin had a sense of déjà vu, for he had similar thoughts for the past month of their daughter's return. He did not, however, express this with his wife; it was just his nature to take the entire burden on himself.

"I'm sure it's just taking Koishi some time to adjust." Kenshin reassured. "She was in another country, after all, and now she has to deal with some of those same people finding her here."

"Did you tell Saitou about the new information Koishi gave us?" Kaoru asked.

"Kaoru," Kenshin said, his voice and face thoughtful and serious. "Tomorrow morning, I will be taking a trip to Yokohama with Saitou."

"Oh?" Kaoru said with her eyes alight with interest.

"Saitou believes that there is one last clue there, in Yokohama, which would help us with Koishi's case. He really doesn't trust Hiroshi with the information of what happened."

"I will miss you, my husband. Please come home soon."

"I will be back in the evening."

"I'm so sorry for causing you to lose much needed sleep." She apologized and looked away in guilt.

"I'm not losing sleep, Kaoru." Kenshin stated with a smile.

"Liar." She mumbled with a role of her eyes.

Kaoru laid back down on their futon as she motioned for Kenshin to join her, and he lay down beside her and held her close through the night.

O~O~O~O~O~O

The sun was only an orange sliver of light in the horizon when Kenshin met Saitou at the main road to Yokohama. The senior investigator stood, as always with a cigarette in his mouth, and he merely glanced at the smaller man before he started their journey towards Yokohama.

"What's the reason you want to spend the whole day in Yokohama?" the redhead asked as he walked with the much taller man.

"I thought the Tokyo police did a thorough investigation, but they did not." Saitou stated. "Remember your daughter informed us about the inn at Yokohama, owned by two women Gin and Kin?"

Kenshin merely nodded his answer.

"It turns out, there is an actual inn there, owned by two women named Gin and Kin. I want to ask those two innkeepers what they saw, since no one decided to question them." The policeman flicked his cigarette and it fell to the ground. "What's more, I found out Hiroshi sent out a message to all city mafia in China, asking if they knew a Himura Koishi."

"He did what?!" the former assassin exclaimed as he paused in his walk before he continued again.

"He also sent that message through the invisible wire, because I guess he was so desperate. The idiot needed hard proof, and just one man answered that message; Huang Shi. So that confirmed that your daughter resided with the Shanghai mafia."

"No wonder Koishi couldn't find a way to escape or send any message to us." Kenshin muttered. "In my opinion, she was smart in deciding not to attempt escape in that city."

In the city of Shanghai, an unforgiving place of a corrupt, greedy government, worse than the current Meiji government, a young woman would stand no chance of survival, especially a foreign girl. Even as a child, his former brother-in-law, Yukishiro Enishi, almost died in those streets if it was not for a wealthy Japanese family residing there that took him in and took care of him.

Kenshin once again stopped his pace as that last reflection stilled in his mind.

"What's wrong, Battousai?" he heard Saitou ask.

Kenshin numbly shook his head and picked up his bisque pace towards Yokohama. Maybe the answers he needed were in that small fishing town.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Koishi hummed softly as she walked with Shinya towards the market. She took the liberty to feel the cool wind blow softly through the trees and over her. The sweet scent of cherry blossoms still hung in the air. Her mother did not want her to leave the dojo after that man, Huang, saw her the other day, but she had students to attend to, and she had to also buy some food. So she sent Koishi to the market with Shinya, to make sure she did not go alone, especially with the day getting late.

"This is so great." She commented to her companion.

"Aa," Shinya agreed. "It is great. So how do you know that man we saw?"

"Huang?" Koishi said with a bitter taste in her mouth. "I lived with another leader in the mafia, and they were rivals. That's how I know Huang."

"Did he...do anything to you?" he asked, almost with hesitentcy.

She frowned at him and wondered what he was getting at.

"I can make you an honest woman." Shinya insisted gently.

Koishi shook her head and stated, "You won't be happy knowing your woman had been used by another man."

There; she said it. Now he will start to back off as so many other men would.

"I don't blame you." he informed faithfully. "And I will never hold it against you, I promise. I will never remind you of it."

The young woman blinked. What did she do to deserve such a kind, devoted man? What's worse, why was she inwardly screaming her negative response?

"Marry me, Himura Koishi."

She opened and closed her mouth several times. Then she realized, Myoujin Shinya was meant to marry her, just as their parents had wanted. Her brother will inherit the dojo property, but she was next to inherit the property, if anything happened to Kenji.

However, it was very difficult to pass property on to a woman; so many twists and loopholes the greedy government could use to grab and sell the property from under her, and that was why their parents wanted them both to marry each other, so their future could be secured. So that there would be a man with her to inherit the dojo property.

Besides that, Shinya was like a nephew to her parents. Shinya practiced Kamiya Kasshin Ryu and would be perfect to inherit the dojo with Kenji. It was harder to pass property on to a person who was not related by blood, so marriage to a direct decedent would make it that much easier.

She now understood her fate, even though she was screaming inside. It seemed she just drifted through life now, accepting whatever fate threw her way. There was no use fighting fate.

_"I won't ever stop." _She had said that to Enishi at the infancy of their relationship. _"I won't ever stop fighting this fate."_

Koishi stared for a moment before she turned and ran deeper into town.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

It was midday by the time they arrived in Yokohama. The duo entered the simple, small inn. Kenshin looked around the small property and then saw a woman, middle aged, sweeping the engawa.

The woman looked up and frowned with a curious gaze and asked, "May I help you two?"

Saitou was the one to speak, "I'm here to ask you about a girl that was left here by a man."

"Oh! You mean the girl that was here...I think two weeks ago."

"Yes; I came to ask you if you remember the man's face."

The older woman pursed her lips and shook her head in a negative fashion. "I'm not very good with my memory. My sister is, though. Her memory is astounding. Maybe she can remember that far back."

The woman turned to the inn and called her sister while Kenshin stood with dread rising up within him, for reasons he did not know.

The sister came out, an exact replica of the other woman, and kindly inquired, "How may I help you?"

"You remember the girl that was left here by a man?" Saitou inquired.

"Oh yes! She was such a beautiful girl. Is she alright?"

"She's fine." Kenshin finally spoke with a tight voice.

"We actually came here is ask what the man looked like." The policeman stated.

The older woman paused for a brief moment, and the tension built up within the redheaded former assassin. This was the moment of truth.

"I remember he was quite tall for a Japanese—"

"Wait," Kenshin interrupted. "He was Japanese?"

"Yes," the woman insisted. "I am very sure that he was Japanese; and he was quite tall. I'd say about five foot twelve inches. He was very handsome." She said the last part with a blush to her cheeks. "His face was long with a square-like jaw. His hair was white and disorderly, but mostly spiked upwards."

Kenshin's body began to grow numb as the woman continued her description, "He had…I think bluish eyes, although I couldn't really tell with those dark sunglasses in the way—"

"What shape were the sunglasses?!" Kenshin demanded and surprised even Saitou with his outburst.

"They were round." The woman answered with an eyebrow arched towards the redhead.

"Any other features or accessories he had that would make him stand out?" Saitou calmly asked.

A brief pause before the woman answered, "Well, he wore Chinese clothes…um, oh yes! He had a single earring in his left ear, and… I believe he had a very long object tucked away in a rucksack."

Now Kenshin's heart pounded with anxiety. It was not possible!

"Did he act, or show any sign that he knew the young woman?!" again he made an outburst.

"Oh, he knew her alright." the woman stated with a heavy blush to her cheeks. "Besides, he told us she was his mistress."

"Did you happen to catch the man's name?" Satiou asked, unfazed by the all too familiar description of a man he saw once, now eighteen years ago.

"No, he didn't give a name, for he was in a hurry to get to the ship before it deported. He just asked me to see her safely home."

Saitou nodded once and turned to his companion, only to see the redhead was no longer there. Kenshin had heard enough, and now he was going to demand answers from his daughter. He ran back to Tokyo as fast as he could.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Koishi shook her head to herself as she wondered the main streets of Tokyo with the sun on the west horizon as it casted orange hues. How long will she keep herself prisoner to a man who abandoned her back in her home country?

Enishi obviously did not love her if he would just leave her after he gave her a choice; her family or him. She could not help but let the tears glisten in her eyes when remembered that day. Oh, how she missed him; how she longed for him!

Will she ever be complete once again?

Koishi sighed to break her wandering mind, and her eyes became focused once again, only to see the immediate danger she placed herself back in.

A Chinese man eyed her, not curiously, but as if she was a large prize. It was not too uncommon for people from China to walk the streets of Tokyo in their native changshan, but the main problem was, she recognized him, and he recognized her.

"Koishi," Gang said with a smile. "The master wishes to see you again."

Panicked, she raced herself towards the Tokyo police station, a place she knew she would be safe, for her father worked there. Just as the building came into view, the perusing man promptly grabbed her by wrapping his left arm around her, and his right hand pressed a Chinese sword firmly into her back.

"Don't move!" the Chinese man whispered.

It did not draw blood, but the blade put enough pressure on her back to feel the sharp ache. Koishi's heart pounded with fear as waves of panic washed over her; her unusual eyes still focused on the police station.

She swallowed hard before asking, in Mandarin, "What do you want with me?"

How can other people not see that there was a mad man behind her with a knife to her back?! They just casually walked on their merry way without a care in the world!

"As I said before, the master wants to see you again. Now, you follow me—" but the man never finished his sentence, as he heard the distinct sound of a sword being unsheathed, and he turned around.

Her eyes widened, and it was as if he never left, for he stood there with his blue-topaz eyes glaring deadly at Gang. She felt the Chinese man shake, even as he flung her to the ground, readied himself, and their swords clashed...

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"Are you finally going to slow down, Battousai?" Saitou complained.

Kenshin could not answer as they came to the path where it split; one way led to the police station, and the other led to home, and his answers.

"Fight!" Someone yelled out. "There's a sword fight!"

Saitou looked at the smaller man and asked, "Can you assist with this one before you go home?"

Kenshin sighed, gathered his renown, and turned towards the middle of town...

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Her eyes widened at the violent display as the protruding blade twisted so the blade was pointed upwards, and the blade was yanked up; slicing the man in almost two halves. People screamed in panic, away from the scene, as a rain of blood came down, drenching the ground and covering Koishi with the salty, coppery liquid.

Her eyes widened even more when she saw who her rescuer was. Her heart pounded anew as it never had with any other man as she looked him over; white spiky hair, topaz-blue irises, dark lensed spectacles, a yin yang earring, and he wore a dark blue kung fu suit, accompanied with black Western shoes.

"Enishi…" Koishi whispered.

There was no mistaking him, for she knew the type of sword he used; a watou, for his fighting style, Garyu Wattoujitsu.

Enishi allowed the young woman the briefest of smirks, but his face turned serious again when they were quickly surrounded by more Chinese men circling around them.

"Stay down." He warned.

He positioned himself and when all the men attacked, he spun in a circular motion. Koishi dropped herself to lay flat on the ground as the long blade sliced through the air above her, and sliced all his enemies in a spray of blood.

Koishi sat back on her knees as Enishi held out his bloodied hand for her to take. She accepted it, and he hauled her back to her feet with a smirk. She stared at him and barely registered that they had accumulated a crowd of onlookers.

"You're safe now." he whispered to her, still holding her hand in his.

She realized she must look like a bloody mess, but she did not care. As she stared at him, she knew she should be angry at him for leaving her behind, but as she stared at every angle of his long, handsome face, she could not bring that anger up to the surface.

"It's over." Koishi whispered to him as she cupped his sword grasping hand, both smeared with blood.

Enishi smirked again, almost fondly, and drew her to him as she also closely embraced him. His gaze fell behind her, only to see someone he did not, in all his eighteen years, wanted to ever seen again; but just like a red nightmare, there he stood.

His cross-shaped scar was smaller, but still a little prominent on his left cheek. His flame-red hair was cut short, and clothes were still the same. He had his ever-present sakabatou at his waist, and he had a shocked, gawking look on his face.

Enishi realized Battousai was not staring at him; he was staring at the young woman he embraced in his arm while his other hand held his watou. He frowned at that, and made no move when the Tokyo police and that cigarette-smelling guy surrounded the couple.

Did Battousai know the young woman he held in his arm?

As if to answer his inward question, the red-haired man snapped out of his shock and shouted, "Koishi!"

The young woman turned her head as if she were surprised to hear her name, and said, "Ottotsuan?"

A cold chill swept through Enishi like an ocean wave, and numbness soon followed as he looked down at the one he held close to him. She looked back up at him, her eyes wide, almost pleading, and then he saw it; he could see a few features on her face that resembled the man he had once vowed revenge on.

She blinked at him, and he wondered what was on his face, and he did not realize he had released his watou. She held the blade, by the handle, in her hands, the sheathe still on the ground, and the police pounced.

Enishi did not even struggle as they cuffed him in iron cuffs, his eyes locked on Koishi's beautiful, bloodied face, and the contact broke when the police hauled him into the station.

She finally snapped out of her trance as she screamed, "What are you doing?! He just saved my life! Why are you arresting him?!"

"Why are you defending him?" a calm, cold voice asked beside her.

She could smell the cigarette smoke before she even looked up at him, but when she did, she still defiantly stated, "He just saved me!"

"Yukishiro Enishi just broke the 'no swords' law and killed ten people in broad daylight. Plus, he's been a runaway fugitive for the past eighteen years."

"He just saved me…" Koishi whispered, tears from her confusion finally flowing from her eyes, creating pink rivers when it mixed with the blood dried on her face. "They were going to either kill me or kidnap me, and he just saved me!" she shouted.

Saitou calmly puffed on his cigarette as a rather pale-looking Battousai walked up to them. "Girl, how do you know Yukishiro Enishi?"

She blinked up at the senior investigator and informed, in a shaky voice, "He was the man who bought me and took me to China."

For once in their lives, the two men were utterly speechless.

_To Be Continued…_

**AN:** I know, it's mean of me to leave it like that, but I'm posting this at two in the am, my time, and I have to start my four day vacation, so I will update next week. Thank you for your patience, my dear readers!


	22. Chapter 22

AN: I'm back! And I did get everyone's reviews when I got back and I must admit, I have a lot to make up for. So, I hope this chapter makes up for it; here you go!

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 22_

Kenshin was shocked; he could not move, and he did not have a single thought in his mind, except for one: What the hell was his daughter doing with his former brother-in-law?!

He had seen Enishi bring Koishi up to her feet, both soaked in blood, his former brother-in-law completely unaware of his presence; something that never occurred with that obsessive man.

He saw them whispering to each other, a rare look of softness in those topaz-blue eyes as he stared down at Koishi. The assaulting, sickening coppery-metallic smell invaded his nostrils, threatening to make Kenshin sick, but it was nothing compared to the sickening sight of that madman clutching his daughter to his body.

Koishi blinked up at Saitou and informed, in a shaky voice, "He was the man who bought me, and took me to China."

Oh gods above, how his stomach turned! What kind of sick twisted game of fate is this?! Enishi, his former brother-in-law, had paid for his daughter, Koishi, and took her with him to China for nearly a year.

Kenshin could sense Saitou's gaze on him, but his eyes were fixed solely on his daughter. His thoughts and memories started to come back to him; Koishi came back with marks blatently obvious on her neck, and he knew how a person got those particular marks...

Kenshin stopped that thought in its place, killing the continuation of that thought dead. He wanted to vomit; he wanted to curl up into a ball and pray that when he awoke, this would all be a nightmare.

Now Kenshin just wanted answers.

"I'll be taking that." Saitou said as he pointed to the watou sword in the young woman's hand.

"No!" Koishi shouted as she hugged the bloody weapon to her body, and it brought her father out of his mind's fog. "It's his sword! It belongs to Enishi!"

When were those two on a first-name basis?!

"I will take it for evidence." Saitou simply stated as he prepared to draw his own sword. "Hand it over, girl."

"It's his sword!" Koishi screamed again, clutching the weapon closer to herself. "I will keep it safe for him!"

"Have you lost your mind, girl?!" Saitou growled. "Hand it over, or I will be forced to arrest you!"

"Arrest me then!"

"Koishi!" Kenshin yelled in an angry voice.

The young woman blinked at her father as if she just realized he was there. He had never raised his voice to his children! It was just so…out of character for him to do that!

It stunned her enough to slacken the grip on the watou, and Saitou promptly seized the weapon from her grasp. Her eyes filled with tears, which irked Kenshin further, and she sniffled, "I want to see him."

"He needs to be processed first." Saitou blatantly stated.

"I just want to see him!" Koishi cried.

"You will not see him." a cold voice stated, and both policeman and daughter turned disbelievingly to the red-haired man.

"I just want to see him!" she repeated, yelling at her father.

Kenshin promptly grabbed her upper arm in a vice-like grip and all but dragged her with him to wherever his next destination was. She soon saw that they were headed home, towards the dojo. He was inwardly dealing with so many different emotions that he was almost to his self-controling limit. He was confused, to say the least, angry, petrified, mostly because his daughter had been in a life or death situation, and finally sick to his stomach.

"Please!" Koishi now begged as she was dragged onto the dojo property and handed over to her mother. "I just want to see him!"

"Make sure she doesn't leave the grounds." Kenshin said to his wife before he turned tail and walked with an almost deadly calm towards the police station.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru called to her husband after she finally awoke out of her stupor when she saw her daughter covered in blood. Her husband stopped his pace when they were outside of the dojo gates but he never turned around to face his wife.

"What's happened?" she asked.

Kenshin swallowed hard before he turned and answered, "Koishi's purchaser has surfaced."

Kaoru blinked and half yelled, "Where is he?! My bokken would love to have a few words with him!"

The former swordsman hesitated, but remembered his promise to his wife; besides, she would soon find out about everything, so he informed, "I don't know the whole story right now, Kaoru; but the person who bought Koishi was Enishi."

The kendo instructor had to grip the gate to keep herself from falling down. She did not have to ask which Enishi it was, for if it was a different Enishi, Kenshin would have said the last name, but since she would know which person he spoke of, there was no need for further information.

"W-What…?" Kaoru managed to sputter. "How…why…?" she shook her head and asked, "You're sure it's him?"

"I saw him myself." Kenshin answered. "They knew each other."

It still made him unsettled to remember how his former brother-in-law held his daughter tightly to himself—he stopped that memory right there. He would not think about it, nor would he consider that thought until he knew the full story.

Kaoru opened and closed her mouth several times before she remembered to breathe and she inhaled in a rapid rate to the point of dizziness.

"Kaoru?"

She nodded her head and pulled herself together and stated, "Kenshin...as much as you want answers, and I want them as well...now is not the time to leave. We need you right now; your family needs you right now." She inhaled deeply and then continued, "You need to talk to Koishi."

Kenshin paused to ponder over what his wife said and he concluded she was correct. Maybe it would be better if his questions were answered by Koishi rather than...him.

"Just give me a moment." he requested and he closed his eyes to calm himself as Kaoru went back onto the dojo grounds.

"Okkasan!" the young woman now begged her other parent. "What is going on?! Why is Ottotsuan acting like that?! Why am I not allowed to see Enishi?!"

Her brother, Kenji, shared in the confusion, for he had never seen his father look so...dangerous. What had set everyone off? Koishi promptly sat on the engawa, still covered with dry, crusty blood, and she cried. He had been right in front of her; he held her close to him, and he was then yanked from her once again.

"Go bathe, Koishi." Kaoru ordered in a tight voice.

"First explain what is going on!" the young woman yelled.

Kaoru's lips tightened together, breathed a few times, and explained, "It is something you have to wait for your father to explain, Koishi, but all I can tell you right now, is that we all know Yukishiro Enishi."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Enishi was completely numb and his mind was unable to process a coherent thought as he was processed at the police station until he was finally placed in an interrogation room. It was a simple white room with only a Western table with two Western chairs; a lonely, boring room more than likely designed to intimidate and make the interrogated crack under pressure. All it did was give Enishi more time to mentally sort everything out.

For half a year, give or take a few weeks, he had been physically involved with the daughter of the man he had once sworn revenge on. Although he no longer wished revenge on him, no doubt that man was suffering in his own little hell right now, which would be compounded if his darling little rabbit told daddy about their relationship.

Wait...did Koishi know about him?

As Enishi thought about his inner question, he could not find a single memory or suspicion that would cause him to believe that she knew who he was, or any deception that would make him think otherwise. That would mean that Battousai more than likely did not tell her about his past; which meant that she did not know who he was.

As it was now, Battousai would more than likely have to tell her about him. Would that change the way she felt about him? Now that he knew who she was, did that change the way he felt about her?

Enishi did not believe that Koishi would purposefully deceive him, or be capable of it. Every emotion she felt showed plainly on her face for everyone to see, so she would not be very good at deception, and if she was, he would know.

Finally, the door opened and in stepped the internal investigator, Hiroshi. He smiled a satisfied smile as he closed the door behind him. As soon as Enishi saw the investigator he chortled and then outright laughed.

"Hiroshi." he laughed. "You're the one after me since I escaped the first time, eighteen years ago, after Saitou decided it wasn't worth the effort to look for me."

"Yes," Hiroshi said without amusement. "I **was** the one after you, but now that you've been caught, I'd say my job is done. Right?"

"Yea, for now." Enishi snipped.

The investigator chuckled and sat in the chair across from the current prisoner. He cleared his throat before he began, "I'd say this has been one hell of a day, wouldn't you agree?" Enishi shrugged his indifference and Hiroshi continued, "Finding out that you've been diddling the daughter of Battousai, your fomer brother-in-law, is quite a hair-raiser. Wouldn't you agree?"

The white-haired man raised an eyebrow and asked, "What're you getting at?"

Hiroshi leaned in closer and answered in a low voice, "I'd say it's a punishment from the heavens, that you would diddle his daughter, and he would have to live the rest of his life knowing that his brother-in-law shamed his daughter; either way, its a punishment that fits both of you." He straightened up as he received a deadly glare, and he continued, "But that's not important. What I'm going to do now is dig in the very back of our storage archives for the evidence gathered against you eighteen years ago, and then gather new evidence."

"What new evidence?" Enishi asked. "Yea, I killed several men in a public square, but they were all foreigners. Sure, I'll get some time, but nothing else."

"Oh no," Hiroshi smiled wickedly. "I'll make sure you admit to other crimes that you did not commit because I'm paid very handsomely to pin crimes on other people, you see. And what better person to pin those crimes on than a person with no living relative and no one who cares about them?

"I sent out a wireless message, via Western Moorse Code, to all known mafia all over China, asking if they knew a Himura Koishi. Two bosses in Shanghai responded and explained everything to me; and Woo Heishin confirmed the real name of the person called 'Hu.' Due to his confession, I allowed him to be released. I always capture the person I look for, by any means necessary."

"What makes you think I would agree to those terms?"

"Well," the investigator started with a shrug of his shoulders. "You can choose to agree to whatever you wish, but I will still see to it you're executed regardless; and since you do not want to cooperate, I will make sure that your head will be leaning over an execution block...with that girl next to you."

Enishi did not have to ask which girl Hiroshi spoke of, but he knew that the investigator just threatened Koishi's life. He became filled with rage and he jumped over the table faster than a person could blink. He pinned the investigator to the floor with his elbow on the bastard's neck, ready to kill him despite still having iron cuffs on his wrists. He pressed his elbow bone hard into the man's throat, causing him to cough chokingly as he struggled.

"You do **not** threaten her!" he growled at the struggling man under him.

At that point, two burly men came into the room and quickly got the white-haired man off the investigator. Hiroshi got to his feet and coughed a few times before he stated, "I will make sure she is deemed an affiliate to you. I will make sure she has her head on an execution block right next to you! And who will protect her once you're dead?"

Without waiting for a reply, he waved his hand, and the two men had to drag Enishi out of the room. They dragged him down the hallway and in a crowded jail cell where they locked him in. The enraged tiger paced the doorway as one of the men in the cell laughed, "We have a new guest."

Enishi glanced at the man with no regard and started pacing again.

"It looks like he needs to be taught some manners, boss." One of the lackeys said.

"Yes," the "boss" agreed. "It does; boys."

Enishi once again stopped pacing as the entire cell members gathered together. He smiled a cheshire cat smile and said, "It's a good thing you caught me in a very bad mood."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The sun was casting orange hues across the darkening sky by the time Kenshin calmed down enough to come through the gates of the dojo. He walked up the stone path and saw Koishi sitting seiza on the engawa; she wore a plain yukata and her long ebony hair was damp.

He was relieved to see she was no longer covered in blood, but now clean and fresh. Simultaneously, the unwanted memory of Enishi embracing her came back into his mind, and Kenshin knew he had to answer his daughter's questions if he wanted his questions answered.

Soft violet met sapphire-blue and they stared silently at each other, neither one releasing their gaze. With a heavy sigh, Kenshin walked with dread over to the engawa and sat down, father and daughter each on the opposite wooden post, a heavy gap between them.

They were both silent for a while, neither knew what to say, and the tension between them was so thick it was stifling. Kenshin could sense his wife and son were eavesdropping on the conversation about to take place, but he did not discourage them.

Maybe Kenji and Kaoru would understand why he did not want Koishi to see that madman, after their talk was complete.

"Is Enishi alright?" Koishi asked unabashed.

Kenshin flinched at the question as if it physically pained him to hear it. With a tight voiced, "I don't know. I didn't go back to the station," he gathered his thoughts.

"I wish to see him, please." she requested with calm, obviously having a length of time to bring her temper down.

Her father had to inhale deeply to keep himself calm, unlike today when he received the shock of his life that was guaranteed to shorten his life by twenty years.

"You don't know what kind of man he is." He countered.

"Hm! I know about the man he **was**, Toutsuan." She disagreed. (Totsuan: father; different from "Otoutsuan," which is an affectionate term for father, or dad. "Totsuan" is still a respectful, but harsher term for father. Used during Meiji Period)

"Koishi," Kenshin started. "I will answer your questions after you answer mine. Understood?"

"Do I have a choice?" Koishi practically snapped.

He bit his bottom lip at his daughter's sudden disrespectful attitude, but did not repy. He had to stay calm, for she was probably just as confused as he was. He inhaled deeply and asked, "What happened after he took you to China?"

"He mostly ignored me." She answered. "He's not much for conversation and he's socially awkward."

Kenshin's heart thundered in his chest as he came to the question he dreaded the most, "What kind of...relationship-" Gods above; it was a bitter taste to say that word! "-did you have with...him?"

That question caused Koishi to jump to her feet and sputter, "W-W-What?" Gods above; her father did **not** just ask her that question!

The former swordsman cleared his throat and repeated with a stronger determination, "What kind of relationship did you have with him?"

"...Relationship?" She repeated with nervousness. "What makes you think we had a relationship?" She was **not** having a conversation about her sex life with her _father!_

Kenshin turned to look at his daughter even though he was still seated on the engawa and half yelled out of frustration, "After he killed whoever that was, I saw him pull you up to your feet and embrace you. It was not a regular embrace, it was not a friendly embrace; it was a lover's embrace!"

"Why do you want to know?!" She asked with petrified eyes.

"I don't **want** to know!" He continued half yelling, and it was the truth. He did not want that image in his head. "I need to know what situation I'm dealing with!"

"Why don't you ask Enishi?!" It was official; the fates were twisted!

"I want to hear it from you!" Kenshin offically yelled. Maybe he would take it better hearing it from his daughter and not _him_. Even though he suspected what happened, he needed it confirmed and he trusted her word over that other man's word.

Koishi jumped from being yelled at, and she settled into silence as she looked down at the engawa steps to her right. She remembered Enishi teased her about being painfully sheltered and she was determined to prove him wrong. So she agreed to whatever position he wanted to try; whatever situation he wanted. They had a physical relationship, no doubt about that, but they could set each other's souls on fire with the amount of passion they had during their love making. He had made her a woman, his own, and there was no denying that fact was going to deeply hurt her father. She also knew that she was also going to be hurt due to it.

Koishi swallowed hard and said, "Remember, a week ago, when you said fathers don't love their daughters any less than their sons?" He nodded once and she continued, "Is it still the truth?"

"It's still the truth." He answered in a soft voice.

She could always deny that anything happened between her and Enishi, but that would be a lie. Not only that, it would throw away everything they ever shared with each other, and even though he did not confess anything to her, even though he did not promise to give her his surname, she did not believe that he did not feel anything for her. There was too much passion, too much possessiveness, and too much softness in him for him to not love her. She was sure he loved her and she would hold on to that belief.

"Enishi and I..." Koishi began and she looked directly at her father. "We had..." She saw his eyes grow wide with dread so she completed, before she lost her will, "We had a passionate relationship."

Kenshin knew what she meant by that and he lowered his head as a hand came up to cover his face. Before they could sink into an uncomfortable silence, she continued, "And it was completely consensual. He never forced me, he never threatened me, and he never coerced me."

She flinched when she could see her normally strong father's shoulders shaking before she heard the broken hearted sob escape him. She slowly sank back down onto the engawa to sit on it again. It pained her to see her father so hurt to the point of tears. The only time she saw him like this was when Kenji was going through the difficult teenage years and he told their father he hated him and never wanted to see his stupid face again.

Now she was the one hurting him.

Koishi moved to sit next to her father and she drew her legs up as she buried her face in them. She continued to hear her father sob, "Why, Koishi? Why did it have to be him?" again and again.

"...I...I didn't know that you knew him." she pointed out.

Kenshin inhaled with a shutter as he wiped away his tears with his hand and asked, "Would it have mattered if you knew how I knew him?"

"Probably not." She answered and it was the truth, although if it mattered, it probably would have taken longer for her to fall in love with him.

Kenshin closed his eyes with dread and started, "Then let me start at the beginning, and be patient until I have completed my story…"

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

When Koishi was a child, like most daughters, she loved her father dearly. In her eyes, he made no mistakes, for he was always perfect. They would laugh together while washing the laundry; he would occasionally splash her face with water in shear playfulness.

He was a hero to her, and she always looked up to him. Even when she became a young adult, he never lost that perfect image. He was comfort, support, and reassuring. Every memory she had of him was a happy memory.

Koishi noticed, all her life, that her father's eyes always had a distant sadness within them, even when he smiled. She never questioned it, or his cross-shaped scar, for she knew he was in the Boshin war. She always assumed that was where his sadness and scars came from…

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Koishi stared at Kenshin with utter disbelief after he finally completed his story. The orange color was long gone from the sky, and the blackness of night had come along with the diamonds in the sky.

The perfect image of her father was ultimately shattered and before her sat an utter stranger; a man she thought she knew, but now, she did not know anything about.

"You're lying…" she accused in a choked whisper. "You can't be the Hitokiri Battousai…"

Her own father, a man who washed laundry (a woman's chore), was once the most feared assassin in the whole of Japan and she never guessed it; never knew. It was growing increasingly disbelieving for her to think of her once cherished father as a man who murdered thousands upon thousands of people.

To top it all off, the man she had grown to love, Yukishiro Enishi, was once his brother-in-law; her father used to be married to Enishi's sister, Tomoe. Of course Koishi knew of Tomoe's story with Battousai, for Enishi told her himself, but to actually put a face with that blood-guilty assassin, as her own father no less, brought the whole situation to a different perspective.

"I was Hitokiri Battousai." Kenshin admitted, his head hung so low, his chin almost rested on his chest. "I am not the same man I was then, but I did fill in the role as Ishin Shishi's shadow assassin."

Koishi shook her head, trying to further her denial of the evident truth. Who was this man she grew up with and loved as her father?! Worst of all, Enishi had once vowed revenge for his sister and even staged her mother's "death," which worked to throw her father into a severe depression, almost to the point of death.

That was how everyone knew Yukishiro Enishi.

Even after Kenshin told her that particular long story, she could not believe he spoke of the same man whom she grew to care for, and love, while in China. At the same time, however, she could believe it, for it fit his description, that other person he became, adamantly.

"He…he's not like that." Koishi sniffled. "He's not like that now." Kenshin glanced at his daughter and she insisted with more perseverance, "Enishi is not the same man you knew; I swear it. If you talk to him, you'll know he's different."

He did not know what to think, or what to consider. Maybe Koishi was right; maybe all he had to do was talk to Enishi to know that he had changed. He should give him that chance.

"...Alright," Kenshin finally agreed. "I'll talk to him tomorrow."

_To Be Continued..._

**AN:** Yea, I hope this chapter made up for leaving everyone like that while I went off on my mini vacation. And Hiroshi is officially a grade A classed asshole, but don't worry; he will only get worse. Also, I went back to chapter 21 and fixed the mistakes there, so I hope it will read better.


	23. Chapter 23

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 23_

_"And who will protect her once you're dead?"_

Hiroshi's words seemed to echo in Enishi's ears like a broken Western turntable. They were words that went far beyond his situation of facing execution. It was the fact that the asshole investigator did not care about exposing Koishi to every single mafia branch in the whole of China. It was bad enough that he exposed her to the Shanghai mafia, and at the time he did not care, but was previously taking measures to correct that; now she would be in danger the rest of her life because of that selfish prick.

Indeed, who would protect her after he was executed?

Would he even agree to admit to crimes he never even commited to keep Koishi out of trouble? If it meant that she would keep her life, he would agree to any demands. Maybe that was what Hiroshi had planned. Then again, what would happened to her after his own death? Would the other mafia bosses go after her or leave her alone, thinking she was not worth the trouble? It was unsettling for him to think about that, but he had to consider it before he made any decisions.

"Nee-san..." Enishi whispered and he closed his eyes. He needed her guidance once more.

Tomoe's image appeared to him, unsmiling as always, but she did not have the hurt look in her eyes; she looked worried. She opened her mouth to say something, but then stopped as she looked to her right to gaze into the snow storm.

Her image then disappeared with the snow falling in his isolated jail cell and when he opened his eyes, he saw no one; but he could sense someone approaching, and Hiroshi's words once again came back to him: _And who will protect her once you're dead?_

Enishi could only think of one person...

O~O~(Previously that morning)~O~O~O

Koishi was really surprised when she ate breakfast with her family, and she took her first bite, only to find the food was very bland and not perfectly seasoned like it usually was. At first she thought her mother cooked it, but Kenji quickly informed her their father cooked their meal. That meant he was not in his right state of mind.

They ate silently without complaint, their father just stared at his food, and the tension in the room grew so thick that Koishi, to eliminate it, threw her chopsticks down on the table where they bounced off with a wooden clang and landed in her father's untouched food.

Kenshin looked at her where she glared him down with very much the angry glare of his Battousai self, without the amber irises, and she practically yelled, "What's done is done; you can stop brooding about it now!"

His eyes narrowed at her and he almost seethed, "I'm not brooding; I'm thinking."

"Well I didn't overthink when you told me about your days as an assassin!" Koishi charged. "Which I'm sure you never would've told me if it wasn't for Enishi! And it took all of **this** to happen before you told me!" She screamed before she jumped to her feet and stormed out of the dining room.

Kenshin also stood up and stormed off, but in the opposite direction of his daughter. Kaoru and Kenji exchanged shocked glances at each other for they had never seen father and daughter argue, much less argue like their arguments since yesterday.

Kaoru shook her head as she continued to eat the bland food without even tasting it, for her mind was far away, the same as everyone else. Would this situation between her husband and her daughter ever be fixed? She definitely needed to talk to Kenshin to know why he was taking this situation so hard. Sure, it was a very difficult situation for him to know that his daughter is in love with his former brother-in-law...

_"You don't remember me, do you?"_

_He gazed at her with those cold, hard blue-topaz eyes as if it did not make a difference in the world who she was. His gaze was all there was to inform her that he did not remember the little girl she had been when they were back in Edo. Then again, she could not believe he was the same boy he had once been, and there he stood before her, a completely changed person from the one she knew-_

"Okkasan?"

Kaoru blinked as the memory faded away and she looked up at her son. With a pained smile, she set her chopsticks down beside her rice bowl and started to gather the dishes. Kenji was so tired of the tension between everyone since Koishi's confession last night. To make it worse, their father refused to allow Koishi see that guy, which made her feel contempt for him. And he always thought he was the only one that was going to be deemed the horrible child.

Also, as a previous rebel, he believed it was wrong for his father to not allow his sister to see that guy. In fact, Kenji himself wanted to see that guy because, after Koishi's confession, it was their culture to go to the man who deflowered a woman in the family and demand marriage to her, if they were not married already. He could not understand why their father would not do that, despite the fact that guy was once his father's brother-in-law.

Sure, it was taboo to Westerners, but in their culture, especially during the Shogunate days, it would have been perfectly acceptable, as long as the daughter was not related to the man by blood, which Koishi was not. It was their "repurchasing laws" that kept the daughter close to her family, and even an in-law of the mother or father's side of the family, unrelated and widowed, or unmarried, could marry the in-law's daughter; it was perfectly acceptable.

Acceptable or not, their father was not going to give his consent to allow that man to marry his daughter. How could they defuse the animosity between father and daughter?

Kenji promptly stood up and walked out of the dining room. He walked down the engawa to his little sister's room and tapped on the wood of the shouji.

"I'm not here." Koishi said from inside.

Kenji gave a hard sigh and countered, "Yes you are; I can hear you."

"Fine; you can come in."

Kenji slid the shouji door opened and saw Koishi sitting on the floor with a wooden object in her hands. It looked exactly like the hair decor she wore to the Sakura festival. Big brother promptly sat across from his sister and looked out to the dojo property since he left the door opened.

"I know I was an unimaginable asshole of a son during my young teenage years." Kenji started. "But I always had good memories that stayed with me, even during that time; even when I was making it incredibly hard for everyone else. It's what I reflected on after an argument with either our mother or our father. What's your good memory, imotou-chan?"

Koishi shook her head and responded, "I have so many happy memories; I don't know which to choose."

"Exactly." She looked at her brother with confusion as if to inquire what prompted him to say that; so he explained, "You always associate us, your family, with happy memories. Unfortunately, Ottotsuan associates that Enishi guy with bad memories; the death of his first wife, and the 'death' of Okkasan. For him, there are no happy memories reguarding that guy. I believe that is why Ottotsuan is taking this situation so hard."

Koishi was silent as she calmly reflected on her brother's wisdom. He was probably correct and she just made the situation worse by causing another argument.

"Try to get Ottotsuan to see the good memories you have of that guy." Kenji prompted. "...If you have any."

"Can you please stop calling him 'that guy?'" Koishi requested with much annoyance.

"What would you prefer me to call him?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Onii-san? Ani-san?" (Ani-san = older brother-in-law)

Koishi gave Kenji a scolding look, but otherwise said nothing. She looked back at the hair decor in her hands; she figured it had once belonged to Tomoe. She never met her father's first wife, obviously, and yet she wondered what it would be like if she could talk to her. More importantly, she needed to correct the situation between herself and her father.

"Onii-san," she started. "Arigatou." (Thank you)

Kenji merely shrugged his shoulders but Koishi knew her accepted her gratitude. She stood up, still with the hair decor in her hand and walked out to the dojo property. Yet she could not find the redheaded man she called her father, and when she saw her mother, she asked where he was.

Kaoru stared for a moment before she answered, "He went to the station."

Koishi knew that meant he more than likely went to talk to Enishi. As the dojo students came through the gates, she decided it would be best if she waited for her father to come home.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

All the senior officers in the station gave Himura Kenshin quick looks, all of them around during the time Yukishiro Enishi tried to bring Jinchuu down on him and all of them knew about the "death" of Kamiya Kaoru, before she became his wife.

Kenshin paid them no heed as he walked straight to Saitou's office. The senior investigator sat at his desk and looked over the processing log. All the names of prisoners who had been processed within the last week, some still in jail cells, were written there.

Saitou glanced at his one-time enemy, and asked, "Are you going to kill him?"

"No," Kenshin stated matter-of-factly, knowing who the senior investigator spoke of. "I just want to talk to him to get some answers to my questions."

Saitou stared at the red-haired man hard for a moment before he finally relented and said, "He's in cell twenty-three."

"Isolation area?" the former assassin inquired with surprise.

"Well," the Mibu Wolf stated with a shrug. "The previous group he was placed with tried to attack him, but he apparently was in a fighting mood and he put them in their places."

"...Did he kill them?" Kenshin stated more than questioned.

Saitou took a puff of his cigarette and answered, "That's what has me so surprised. He kicked their asses to the point that they had to be dragged away, but he never killed a single one."

That was very surprising. He specifically remembered Enishi try to kill Woo Heishin over shooting two guns randomly, and he had to stop him before Enishi killed the Chinese man. Maybe Koishi was right; maybe he was not the same person he remembered.

Kenshin turned and headed towards the cell blocks, winding through the maze. The cell blocks in the twenties were for prisoners that were escape artists, or for the prisoners that were runaway fugitives for a length of time. They were also used for isolation.

If one did not know their way around the cell block, they would definitely get lost, and that was why the high profiled criminals were put at the back of the block, in the twenties.

Kenshin saw the man he had not seen in eighteen years, or rather, since yesterday, sitting on the floor with his back up against the cold, brick wall; his eyes were closed, as if meditating, his left leg was half in a cross-legged position, and the right leg was bent over the left while his right arm rested on that leg.

His right hand twitched, but he did not look to his immediate left towards the man he had hated the majority of his life. He knew that man was there, watching him, but he never looked at him. In all honesty, he would rather the redheaded demon not see him in such a pitiful state. He would rather get a visit from that hellion that became that man's wife rather than him. Then again, he would much prefer a visit from his little rabbit.

"What do you want, Battousai?" Enishi asked in his soft baritone voice, his eyes still closed.

Kenshin could not say anything. Did he really have any questions for his former brother-in-law? Did he really want a confirmation to Koishi's confession? He inwardly cringed, and then he heard a dark laughter coming from number twenty-three cell.

"Since you don't want to talk, Battousai," the white-haired man stated with dark amusement. "I'll do the talking. I supposed your first question is, what was I doing with Koishi?"

Enishi knew Hiroshi stop at nothing to get what he wanted, and he would come after Koishi and her family, and in order to protect her, just her, he would become the bastard they all believed he still was; because the only one who could protect her was her father.

"In that exclusive club, when I saw her face, I knew she had to have some relation to you, or to that woman of yours." He lied, for he never figured out her identity until today. "I decided, why not have a little fun? So, I bought her, and of course she protested going onto that ship to bring us to China and she tried several times to find a way to escape. She's so easy to read, you know.

"I thought about selling her to a Chinese brothel, but I paid too high a price for that wench to just sell her off for not even half the money back, so I decided to keep her. She is quite an amusing girl, a bit entertaining, especially on the effects of opium. I treated her nicely, bought her expensive things, and brought her with me to social parties of the mafia.

"That was when she became trapped in that world, the moment they saw her face. That was part of my plan, too. There was one of the three bosses that became interested in her, and that's how I knew her fate was sealed; there was no going back for her. I contemplated selling her to the Chinaman, but I wasn't quite done with my amusement of her.

"Kindness always makes even the most hesitant heart soften." Enishi continued with a dark laughter. "It didn't take long before my kindness towards her melted her resolve, and before I knew it, she came into my quarters and undressed herself in front of me. It was that quick, and if I hadn't known better, I would've questioned her innocence."

Kenshin was rooted to the ground, his throat felt tight as a lump formed in the middle. Enishi smirked darkly as he stared at the wall across from him, his expression looked well-pleased; but inwardly, he felt sick. He knew that Battousai would inform Koishi of everything he said, and he knew she would be deeply hurt. And because of that, he knew he would never see her again, yet he trodded on in his vindictive story.

"I was surprised when she didn't know who I was, or who you really are." He continued. "You just like to constantly hide your sins, even from your own offspring. I must admit, though, that her ignorance of you, of me, was her major downfall. Maybe if she knew who I was in relation to you, she wouldn't have fallen so easily."

Kenshin could instantly feel the so very familiar feeling of regret form in his stomach, and he hated to admit it, but Enishi did have a point. Maybe if he educated Koishi about his past, she would not have been so blind to the man's obvious manipulation.

Enishi then chuckled a dark, hard chuckle with a hard smile on his face and he stated, "I had been fucking the daughter of Battousai for half a year. There couldn't have been a better Jinchuu if I had planned it myself."

Both of Kenshin's hands fisted tightly and he glared murderously at the caged tiger. He wanted nothing more than to take the third sakabattou at his side and thrust it into the madman's chest.

He took a few calming breaths before he stated, in a hard voice, "I believed you would've used your past freedom for better."

"Before you believe she was the victim, Battousai, why don't you look into those beautiful blue eyes of hers and ask her, why I nicknamed her 'Usagi-chan.'"

Little Rabbit? Why would he call her that? There was no features on Koishi that resembled a rabbit. The red-haired former assassin turned and walked away, Enishi's cold laughter ringing in his ears.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The laundry was piling up but Koishi could not wash it because Megumi had told her not to get the wraps on her wrists wet; and since she still had the wraps on, she could not wash laundry. When she bathed, she had to be especially careful when she washed herself so she did not get them wet, so she had to have her wrists hanging on the edges of the ofuro when she soaked in the delightful warm water.

So, instead, she swept the stone path since the dirt around it had begun to cover it up. She briefly glanced at the students practicing, looked back down at the stone path, and then back again to make sure she saw correctly.

There was a girl who had recently joined the Kamiya dojo just a few days ago, but Koishi could not remember her name. She was pretty, no doubt, with her long ebony hair tied up into a ponytail, lightly tanned skin, small frame with puny hands and feet, and perfect almond-shaped eyes accompanied with chocolate-brown irises.

Koishi chuckled to herself when she saw her brother, Kenji, personally show her how to properly hold the bokken. When the young woman joined, the look in Kenji's eyes was as if he had been living on a planet populated with only men and he stared at her as if she was the first girl he had ever seen in his life.

The girl was clumsy with a bokken and she did not seem interested in learning the art of swordsmanship, but instead, seemed more interested in the instructor. For Kenji, a girl who was interested in kenjitsu was a dream come true. He always liked girls with spunk in them.

Koishi shook her head to herself and continued to sweep the pathway. She did not know how their relationship was going to work once Kenji found out the girl had no interest in kenjitsu; but that was not her problem. Her current problem was getting off the dojo grounds so she could see Enishi. She hoped her father was having a long conversation with him to see he was not like his younger Jinchuu self so he would be more lenient on her restrictions.

"Oi, Jo-chan!"

Koishi rolled her eyes and sighed before she turned around to show who she really was, and her uncle chuckled good naturedly before he corrected himself, "Koi-chan! I was wondering if I could have lunch here. Kenshin usually cooks today."

"...Uh, Ottotsuan is at the station right now, but I could easily cook lunch if Okkasan says it's okay for you to eat here."

Usually Koishi's cooking did not taste bad. When she tried to cook at Enishi's mansion, she could not read the spices, which were labeled in Chinese. Plus, she was not in her right state of mind, and much like her father, if they were not in their right state of mind, their cooking usually turned out bad; but very rarely did Kenshin cook food that tasted bad.

"Why is Kenshin at the station?" Sano asked with a slight frown. "He's usually off today."

Oh, that's right; her uncle did not know about their situation. Well, if he must know... "Ottotsuan went to talk to...the man who bought me."

The older man's face darkened and he responded with, "Oh, really? I think I would like to talk to him, too. When did he surface?"

"During a public sword fight yesterday."

"Was he in the sword fight?"

"Yes, he was." Koishi answered. "Which is why he's in jail right now..."

"So he's a swordsman?"

"Yes; his swordstyle is Watoujitsu." Sano stilled at the information his niece gave him, and she concluded, "Well, Garyu Watoujitsu."

Now Sano's mouth fell open and the fish bone he always had in his mouth fell out and landed at his feet. It took the older man time to recover before he finally sputtered, "You mean...to tell me that...that the man who purchased you was...Yukishiro Enishi?"

"Oh..." Koishi tried to feign disinterest. "You know him, too?"

"And...Kenshin knows about this?" Sano continued, ignoring her question, and the young woman slowly nodded. Which prompted the uncle to ask, "And how did he react when he found out?"

Koishi could only flinch to answer and Sano said, "That bad, huh?"

"And Ottotsuan is continuing to take it hard." she stated.

"How is Jo-chan taking it?"

What did her mother have to do with it? Koishi only shrugged her answer and then said, "She hasn't said anything about it."

"Hm." Sano thought and then prompted, "As a concerned uncle, I have to ask, out of my concern...Did that guy touch you?"

Koishi physically jumped at the question and then yelled, in an unlady-like manner, "Damn it, Oji-san! It's bad enough that I had to have this conversation with my father last night! Don't start poking your nose into it, too!"

"I was asking because it usually happens when lecherous men buy girls like their property. And if he harmed you, in any way..." Sano strayed away from his sentence and hit his fist into his other hand's palm in a threatening manner.

"Enishi didn't do anything to me!"

The older man stilled and then said, "...Wait...you're on a first name basis?"

Koishi sighed and only scolded, "Oji-san."

"...Don't tell me...you're in love with the guy." Sano sputtered in a low voice. When Koishi did not respond, he suddenly yelled, "You can't be serious! Do you honestly think he feels the same way?"

"Sano?" Kaoru inquired when she came over to see what the commotion was about. "What's with the yelling?"

"Did you know your daughter is in love with that Yukishiro guy?!"

Kaoru held a hand up to try to calm her longtime friend, practically brother, down and calmly stated, "We're still working out the details, Sano. We still don't have definate answers."

"I'm sure you have a definate answer from her." he said and indicated towards Koishi with his head; then he tsk-ed, "No wonder it seems Kenshin is suffering over this whole thing."

Koishi flinched at the last statement but wisely did not respond. It was bad enough she had a feud between herself and her father that she needed to correct. Sano's reaction was to be expected; afterall, he saw Kaoru's "death," and witnessed his best friend lose his will to live, all at the hands of one Yukishiro Enishi. The fact that the madman was able to gain anyone's love, to Sano, was completely absurd, especially when that woman was the daughter of the man Yukishiro hated.

"Sano." Kaoru simply said in a scolding tone and she shook her head.

"You, of all people, Jo-chan, should be furious about this." Sano pointed out.

"I have my own feelings to sort through, yes," she agreed. "But I'm trying not to cause more problems between Koishi and Kenshin."

"What?" he asked. "Are they arguing or something?"

"Yes." Kaoru answered. "Mostly because Kenshin isn't handling this situation very well."

"I can't imagine why." Sano stated with sarcasm.

Koishi then looked up from her downcasted position when she heard the all too familiar shuffling of geta on dirt; it was always heard when her father walked. Sure enough, he stood where the dojo gates were as if in a daze, or in very deep thought. It was not a look on his face that she was hoping for after talking to Enishi.

What did Enishi say?

Kenshin looked up and stared straight at her, and those piercing voilet eyes made her extremely uncomfortable. There was something underlining in those orbs, an emotion Koishi could not name, but she could only describe it as accusation; something her father would never do.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru half greeted, half questioned.

The redhead looked up at his wife and shook his head as he silently walked around the trio and walked away. Koishi stared after him with utter confusion, for she had never seen him react like that, with complete silence.

The young woman frowned and dropped the broom. She ignored her mother's warning as she follwed her father around to the back of the house where she saw him once again on the engawa, next to the steps.

"Ottotsuan?" Koishi stared as calmly as possible and he looked at her with his eyes, not turning his head. "What happened?"

Kenshin closed his eyes and she knew that he was trying to keep himself under control. Whatever her lover said was not good and it irked her to understand that, and not know why he would say something negative.

"He manipulated you, Koishi." Kenshin stated, his voice full of pity. "He told me himself that he knew who you were, from the beginning."

Why would Enishi say something like that?! Koishi had to pause to keep herself from screaming that it was not possible; that he would never do anything like that. She had to correct this fued between herself and her father.

"It doesn't make sense." she stated calmly even though she did not feel that way. "I never gave him my surname. He never knew me by any name other than 'Koishi.' He didn't know me."

"Enishi knew you." the red-haired man insisted. "He used you."

She still shook her head and corrected, "He never knew who I was. He even, at times, stared at me and when I asked, he answered that I looked familiar to him. That was it."

"Then why would he plan everything so perfectly, even putting your life in danger?"

"He…" Koishi gulped and closed her eyes to steady her rapid thoughts. "He didn't care about me in the beginning."

Kenshin wanted to inform his daughter that Enishi never cared about her, even now, but he could see that she was hurt and denying everything was to spare herself that hurt. It would just take time for her to finally accept it.

Kenshin closed his eyes and lowered his head before inquiring, "Is it true, that you willingly went into his room and disrobed yourself before him?"

Her eyes widened and she knew the only way for her father to know about that was if Enishi told him. When he did not receive a response, he looked back up at her and saw her shocked face, which was the confirmation he needed.

A very heavy silence passed between them until Koishi finally worked up her courage and informed, "I…disrobed in front of him twice."

Kenshin physically jumped as a too familiar feeling of sickness passed over him, and he looked at his daughter with disbelieving eyes.

She cleared her throat, kept her eyes trained to the ground, and explained, "The first time, I had been drinking a type of Chinese beer, although I didn't know what it was while I drank it. I also didn't know it had been laced with opium-"

"How did opium get into your drink?"

"...Huang." was all Koishi needed to say and her father understood; so she continued, "My mind was in a fog, but I remember I disrobed in front of him." she swallowed hard and concluded. "I pulled him to me, and I would've let him have me, but he refused. He said he wasn't going to take advantage of a drunken girl."

It took the former assassin several moments to work up the courage to ask, "And the second time?"

"It was after a winter ball he hosted for the upper class, and I was in a right state of mind without any indulgences in me. That was the first time."

She did not have to elaborate into details for her father to understand what she meant by her latter statement. It was hard for Kenshin to accept it. He never thought his daughter would be capable of disrobing in front of a man without a marriage consent. He always thought of her, even when she came back, as the same innocent girl who played with the falling Sakura pedals, who helped with any task needed to be completed, and who was always careful to never be alone with a man, for people in the community talked harshly if they saw any young unmarried woman with a man.

To go with it, she was his only daughter, and he firmly believed that daughters needed to be protected more than sons, and even Kenji accused him more times than he could remember that he loved Koishi more than him. He was not at all bias, but it struck him hard when he sent notice to Hiko a few days after Koishi was born, and his Shisho wrote back congratulating him, but warned that she needed to be protected more than anyone because it was a Japanese superstition that daughters suffered more for the father's sins than the sons would.

Now, at last, Kenshin understood the full meaning of his Shisho's words.

He stood back up to his feet and exclaimed, in a soft voice, "He's a manipulator, Koishi; he's not honest in anything he does, and everything he does has a purpose."

Her father's words struck her to the core, and she shook her head in disbelief while denying, "You're wrong. He's not like that; I've seen him. He wouldn't do that."

"He would."

When she silently shook her head in denial, Enishi's words rang in Kenshin's head; _"Before you believe she was the victim, Battousai, why don't you look into those beautiful blue eyes of hers and ask her, why I nicknamed her 'Usagi-chan.'"_

"Usagi-chan," Kenshin said in a whisper, but Koishi heard it and she jumped from hearing it in her father's boyish voice. "Why would he call you 'little rabbit?'"

Her eyes widened and she finally lost her self control as she pracitcally yelled, "Why did he tell you that?!" When he remained silent, she could not stop the hurtful tears from forming in her eyes and spilling down her cheeks.

Why; why would Enishi tell her father something so personal that he kept just between them?! He never called her Usagi-chan in front of anyone else; it had always been in private because it was an intimate secret that was not for anyone else to know.

"...You don't have to answer." Kenshin said with mercy, although he could guess why Enishi would call her that.

Koishi was embarassed, to say the least, and all she could do was sit down hard on the engawa and weep bitterly. She wanted to go to the police station and face Enishi to demand answers, but she knew she would remain basically a prisoner of the dojo for the next year.

"Gomen nasai." Kenshin apologized with a soft voice.

It was not that Kenshin was trying to hurt his daughter on purpose, but he just did not want his former brother-in-law manipulating her any more. She would either keep denying it, or she would eventually have to find out for herself.

He turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw his wife standing next to him. He shook his head, more towards himself, and decided a mother's love was needed right now. So he turned and walked away as Kaoru sat next to her daughter.

After said daughter brought her sniffles under control, Kaoru started, "Koishi, there's something I need to tell you...about what happened while I was on the island...with Enishi."

_To Be Continued..._

**AN:** Finally, next chapter will explain about Enishi and Kaoru and...yea, I'll see if I can fit a few lemons in there.


	24. Chapter 24

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 24_

"...So," Koishi began. "You knew Enishi when you were children?"

"Yes; we were friends for a while," Kaoru answered. "And he didn't remember me, at first, but when we were on the island he started to remember me. By that time it didn't matter because he was set on his Jinchuu and I was already in love with your father."

"And you're telling me this because...?"

"I want you to know that I understand more than anyone else." Kaoru said. "I understand that he can 'switch' sometimes, but that kind person he once was is still there."

Koishi nodded in agreement and she was also grateful that her mother understood.

"However," the older woman said with caution, knowing her next words were going to be taken the wrong way, no matter how much she explained. "I don't agree with your relationship with him." When Koishi opened her mouth to protest, Kaoru held her hand up in the universal sign to stop someone. "I agree with you father for keeping you away from him, because I overheard the conversation. You're still young and it's still our duty to protect you."

Already Kaoru could see the resentment building up in her eyes that were shaped exactly like Kenshin's eyes.

"Protect me." Koishi repeated with a scoff. "Enishi was right; I'm painfully sheltered." Before her mother could counter, she said, "I didn't even know that Aoshi-san and Misao-san were onmitsu, but Kenji did. I didn't even know Ottotsuan was Battousai, but Kenji knew. I didn't know that you and Enishi were childhood friends until now. I don't know why it takes drastic events for my parents to tell me the truth. Do you both think that I can't handle the truths you tell me so you block me out?"

"Koishi-chan," Kaoru began her answer and her daughter resented the 'chan' honorfic at the end of her name, for it made her feel like a child; perhaps that was her mother's intent. "Kenshin...your father doesn't want you apart of the life he once had. Yes, he told Kenji because sons carry on the family line, but you...he loves you so much and he didn't want you to think less of him."

That calmed Koishi down significantly, but she still said, "You said I'm still young, but I will tell you something that I should've said when this whole mess happened; in Yokohama, Enishi gave me a choice. I could go with him, or he would take me back to my family, and we would never see each other again. I chose to go with him. I'm not a selfish daughter, and I would've sent you a message the second I got back to Shanghai, that I was fine, in good hands, and I will see you all again another time; but I chose Enishi, because I do love him more than anyone thinks. I will not accept the limitations that everyone gives me because they still think I'm a little girl. I'm grown up now, and I make my own choices, one of them being to stay with Enishi."

That was how she had to be; blunt, frank, and to the point. There had to be no pussyfooting around it because she had to make her family see that she was grown up; a young adult, yes, but an adult nonetheless. It left Kaoru shocked that her daughter would choose Enishi over her family, and then she realized they could not longer keep a shield around Koishi because she refused it.

Koishi was, indeed, a mature young woman, able to make her own decisions; but why did it have to be Yukishiro Enishi?

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

She sat on the engawa with a downcast face as she cursed the beautiful, perfect weather. Rain would have fit her mood better and no one present within the crowded dojo paid the little girl any mind as they consoled the family patriach. Perhaps they thought she was too young to comprehend such a loss, or perhaps they felt more sorry for the man who has only a daughter, and no son, to raise by himself.

She sniffed as the tears once again filled her eyes and cascaded down her face. With a small hand, she wiped them away from her cheeks. When she opened her eyes, she saw a flower in front of her face; a white chrysanthemum with its multipule white pedals and a touch of sweet scent. It was the Japanese flower for sympathy.

She looked up from the flower to see a boy standing in front of her, holding the flower out to her. He was no more than six years old with spiky, ebony hair and ebony eyes. He was, indeed, a cute boy, even with his passive expression. She looked at the flower and then back at the boy.

Finally, the boy asked, "Well, are you going to take it or aren't ya?"

The little girl jumped at his forward question, and already being highly emotional, started to cry again. The boy sputtered nervously as he said, "Don't cry! I don't know what to do when a girl cries!"

So, having mercy on him, sniffled and stopped her tears even while she hiccupped to stop. She gave him a kind smile and informed, "There's really nothing you can do when a girl cries. All you can do is wait for her to stop." She then held her hand out and gentle took the white chrysanthemum from the boy with a kind, "Thank you."

The boy shugged his shoulders and said, "My mother's dead, too...but I don't know what she looked like because she died when I was born."

"That's more sad." she sympathized.

"Huh?"

"I know what my mommy looked like, and I have happy memories of her, but I think it's more sad to not have any happy memories of your mommy."

The boy shrugged again and muttered, "Not as sad as your father not being able to look at you because you remind him of his wife's death, so he up and leaves." The little girl gave him a confused look, but he shook his head and said, "It's nothing. I'm Enishi; Yukishiro Enishi."

"Kaoru; Kamiya Kaoru."

"So, why're you wearing a gi and hakama?"

"I practice my father's kenjitsu style." Kaoru answered and then said, in a low voice, "We were supposed to train today, but we didn't know my mom was going to get worse and..."

"Even grown-ups don't know everything." Enishi pointed out.

"By the way," she started. "What're you doing here? I don't think I know you..."

"Oh," he said as if it was an obvious answer. "My sister works at a restaurant and the restaurant owner is a friend of you father. He closed shop early as soon as he heard what happened and, not wanting to leave my sister and I alone, he brought us here. And I'm...sorry for your loss."

Kaoru shook her head as if to tell him its fine, but she could not help the sadness that took over her face.

Enishi shiffed uncomforablly and said, "Your smile is better."

"Eh?"

"You look better when you smile." He said again, still uncomfortable.

Just a little, Kaoru face brightened and brief smile appeared on her lips as she said, "I'll smile more then; promise."

A few days later, Enishi stopped by the dojo and him and Kaoru went down to the river. When he caught a frog and showed it to her, he was pleasantly surprised when she did not scream like a little girly-girl, but instead, caught one of her own and showed it to him with a huge, pleased smile on her face. He visited nearly every day since then.

They grew up together for the next year as best friends, since they had no other friends. She brought him her homemade sashimi, and as soon as he took a single bite, he spit it out, causing her to cry.

"It taste horrible!" he complained.

"It's not my fault!" she cried. "I don't have a mother at home to teach me to proper way to cook!"

And one day, they sat together on an embankment as the white clouds above them rolled by.

"Oh!" Kaoru exclaimed. "That one looks like a katana."

Enishi face grew troubled as he informed, "You know...there's talk of a revolution uprising in Kyoto. So many people are being assassinated."

"Do you think there's going to be a war?" she asked with a bit of fright.

"If there is, then it would more than likely be in Kyoto, our capital."

To change to a brighter subject, Kaoru asked, "Do you think I can eat dinner with you and Tomoe-neesan?"

Again, Enishi's face darkened and he informed, "We're eating over with Kiyosato's family."

Kiyosato...? Oh, that's right; Tomoe's fiancee. She saw him only once, but he was nice enough to buy both her and Enishi a dumpling. Although she did not know why Kiyosato-san kept calling her "Tomoe's little sister," which irritated Enishi and he told the older man off with a bright-red face.

"At least Tomoe-neesan is happy." Kaoru pointed out.

Enishi still had an irritated look on his face, but he did not tell her off. Unlike everyone else, with the exception of his sister, he never told Kaoru off, no matter how irritated he was of her.

"Ne...Kaoru," he began. "The future is so uncertain, but I want to ask you...even though we're friends, if we can't find anyone else to marry, then let's marry each other. Promise?"

She blinked at his request, but figured that it would not be a bad thing to marry a friend. At least it was better than marrying a stranger. So, with a smile, she simply nodded and said, "I promise!"

He looked to the west, and saw the sun getting lower in that direction.

"It's getting late, Kaoru." he stated. "I should walk you home."

She agreed and he walked her back to the dojo, and when they both entered the gates, they were greeted by the stern look of her father. Kaoru blinked at him and wondered what she had done now.

"Kaoru," he started. "Inside the dojo now and do six hundred practice swings."

She looked at her father and then looked at Enishi, and she reassured, "I'll see you tomorrow."

When she left, Enishi was about to go when Kamiya-san called, "Boy, a word with you." Enishi turned back and listened, "I need you to know that starting now, I want you to stop spending time with my daughter. You're now seven years old and it's not proper for you two to be alone together."

Enishi was bluntly confused and showed it on his face as he wondered what the older man was thinking. Sure, he was seven, but Kaoru was four; he did not understand what was inappropriate about it.

"Do you understand, boy?"

Enishi, just to keep peace, nodded his head, gave a quick impolite bow, and left. When he arrived home, he saw his sister cooking dinner and the delicous aroma filled the small house. He sat down heavily next to the kotatsu.

"Is something wrong, Enishi?" Tomoe asked in her soft voice.

"I was asked by my friend's father not to see her again."

Tomoe stopped stirring and looked at her little brother with her usual placid face. She set her wooden spoon aside and explained, "Enishi, you're growing older and you'll have to be more careful being seen around girls."

"Kaoru is only four."

"I understand that, Otouto-chan, but many fathers do not, especially when that boy is reaching the age of manhood, and you're three years away from being ten years old. Plus, you do spend a lot of time with her." (Otouto-chan = little brother)

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Uhm..." Tomoe started, flabergasted about the difficult situation of being a girl and having to explain it to a boy. "When you're a man, you take a wife, and when you marry, you have children. It's the making the children part that has fathers watching their daughters like hawks."

"...Still don't get it."

Tomoe opened and closed her mouth before she relented, "Maybe I'll have Kiyosato-san explain it to you..."

Kiyosato, however, never did get the chance to explain it to Enishi, for he was determined to be a good man for his fiancee, and he left for Kyoto, but never came back. After that, the distraught Tomoe fell into a catatonic state before she set out for Kyoto with plans of vengence. Enishi never saw Kaoru again after his sister left.

The years passed and the memory of a kind little boy named Yukishiro Enishi faded into the back of Kaoru's mind. At seventeen years of age, she met a man named Himura Kenshin and for six months, they went through many trials and events together, aquiring a number of friends along the way.

Towards the end of six months, terrible events started to happen, and many of their friends were under the attack. When Kenshin gathered everyone around, he informed them that the mastermind behind all the "Jinchuu" events was Yukishiro Enishi, and Kaoru's mind stired as to why that name sounded so familiar.

When Kenshin explained further, and mentioned Himura Tomoe, Kaoru was shock-stricken. Half due to her knowing Kenshin had once been married, and the other half was because the flood of a year's worth of memories came back to her; of a very kind boy who gave her a white chrysanthemum flower in sympathy for her mother's death, who also had a sister named Tomoe.

She just could not believe that her kind friend was the same one responsible for such destruction, for such violence, and for such vengence. However, when Kenshin described both Tomoe and Enishi in his story, Kaoru had begun to understand and believe they were the same people she knew as a child in Edo, or Tokyo as it was now called.

During their rest time, she sat next to Kenshin on the engawa, overcome with incredible sadness for both her love interest and her childhood friend. What had become of Enishi? Why was he so different from the kind boy she had known for a year, and had a childish crush on? Finally, at the end of Kenshin's story, everyone went to rest and Kaoru reflected after her little spat with Megumi.

Perhaps, once Enishi saw her, he would remember her and he would stop his senseless vengence.

However, when he came down from his air ballon, she was once again shocked to see how much he had changed. His hair was the same disaray, but now white in color, and his ebony eyes were now blue-topaz. He never once glanced her way, but instead, kept his eyes trained directly at the man he desperately sought vengence against.

That was not the boy, her childhood friend, that she remembered.

Enishi soon advised his apponent, overheard by everyone else, that his swordstyle was Garyu Wattoujitsu. Kaoru mournfully thought that if he would have stayed in Japan, instead of going to Shanghai and learning a swordstyle there, he could have learned her father's swordstyle and philosophy, and maybe he would not have been so hell-bound for revenge.

During the swordfight, when Kenshin was injured, and Kaoru cried out his name, those cold blue-topaz eyes finally turned to look at her, but she was once again stricken when she saw only cold, hard darkness in those beautiful orbs. She could not believe that her friend would look at her in such a way.

Why would he be so cold towards her?

It was more than likely a stupid decision, but she stayed long after he gave her that look, even when advised by Saitou to leave. Kaoru just could not find it in herself to leave the man she loved during such an important fight, especially when that important fight involved her best friend.

Even after the duel was done, and Enishi was victorious, he brought his Jinchuu down on Kenshin in the form of Kamiya Kaoru's "death." She faced him, ready to fight, even though she knew, and admitted, she could not possibly win, but she would live, no matter what. Still, Enishi made no indication with those blue-topaz eyes of his, that he knew her from their childhood.

When Kaoru woke up on the lone island, not wanting to think of how she was now dressed in a Western robe, she walked out onto the balcony and looked out to the ocean. When Enishi told her there was no use trying to escape, she was about to throw the piece of pottery in her hands at him, but when she saw how injured he was, and how that arrogant smile was wiped off his face, she had mercy and decided not to break it over his head, no matter how tempting it was.

After he explained about the island, Kaoru asked, "Why didn't you kill me? I thought for sure I would be killed."

"It's not something I have to explain to you." he answered callously before walking away.

Mercy? That was the first thought that came to Kaoru's mind, but then she remember he killed an entire family as a boy, so that was not the reason. Did he...did his subconscious remember her? That could have been the possibility, but still, she did not want to stay to conciter it, for she figured something bad was happening to Kenshin and she had to get back to him.

And yet, one day while she was waiting for the relay ship to arrive, she glanced out to the balcony and saw Enishi resting peacefully in his seat next to a small table. As if he sensed he was being watched, he opened his eyes and glanced her way.

"What do you want, woman?" he asked with half a glare.

"You don't remember me, do you?"

He gazed at her with those cold, hard blue-topaz eyes as if it did not make a difference in the world who she was. His gaze was all there was to inform her that he did not remember the little girl she had been when they were back in Edo. Then again, she could not believe he was the same boy he had once been, and there he stood before her, a completely changed person from the one she knew.

"I don't know who you are." Enishi answered with a wave of indifference.

"...I'm Kamiya Kaoru." she said even though she knew he did not care. Maybe if she talked to him, he would remember. "You were a little boy when we knew each other back in Tokyo...or Edo. There was a crowd gathered at my father's dojo because my mother had just died, and you gave me a white chrysanthemum flower to show your sympathy-"

"I don't remember you or anything about you." he insisted.

"Come on!" Kaoru now half yelled out of annoyance. "I was three at the time, and yet I remembered you!"

Enishi simply raised an eyebrow at her and then continued to ignore her. Still, her description of her memory did stir his brain to think, and it was very familiar to him, even though his mind's eye did not produce the image of it; and because of that familiarity, he knew that she spoke the truth. Somewhere in the past he refused to remember, the past that held no other person except his sister and was blocked by a veil of insanity, beyond that, there was a little girl named Kaoru.

So he knew Battousai's woman as a boy. It made no difference to him.

A week later, the relay ship docked at the island and Woo Heishin arrived on the island. After he discussed his business with the shady man, Woo Heishin went to reside in his personal mansion, since he owned it, once again leaving the two alone.

Spunky Kaoru got a broom handle and was about to attack a very wounded and seemingly helpless Enishi, but she did not know that her talking of the past had weakened his veil of insanity and due to that, he saw the real Tomoe, not the illusion in his mind. She stared at him with a hurt unsmiling face, and when he saw that, he had a break down.

Even though Kaoru was being choked, she could not help but be very surprised at how strong he was with just one hand, until finally, Enishi convulsed and spewed.

"Why aren't you smiling for me, Nee-san?" he finally cried as tears dripped from his eyes.

Kaoru could not help it as she reach over to him with gentle hands and held his face in her hands. When he looked up at her, his glasses fell off his face and to the deck with a soft clang, and she saw immense distress in his blue-topaz eyes. Finally, she once again saw her best friend, the kind boy he had once been in those orbs, and he sobbed again and laid his head on her lap.

_He switches,_ Kaoru thought to herself. _Just as Kenshin switches from himself to Battousai, Enishi switches from the person I knew him as to a person who is a complete stranger to me. Maybe that was why he didn't remember me._

After that, Kaoru did not have the heart to abandon Enishi, even though she had ample time to stow away on the relay ship, given his vulnerability.

A week after that, Enishi and Kaoru acted as though that moment never happened, but hoping to attack his wounded heart, she cooked for him, for she knew his sister did the same for him. After she placed the tray of food down on his table outside, he demanded, "What is this?"

"Nothing." she snipped. "It takes the same effort to cook for two people as it does for one. I'm the only one using the kitchen and you haven't eaten a meal since we got here. Whether you eat it or not is none of my concern." As she walked away she concluded, "And you can wash your own dishes."

Enishi looked at her retreating form and then looked down at the food as memories of Tomoe cooking for him and his family came to his mind. He reached down, picked up the miso soup bowl and sipped it.

Immediately, he knew that woman was nothing like his sister, for she cooked worse than a sailor in training. He forced himself to swallow and after he did, he voiced his thoughts, "It's terrible."

What did she use to make it; rotten tofu?!

As soon as he thought that, a distant memory came to his mind of a little girl with sapphire-blue eyes who brought him her homemade sashimi. After he bit into it, he spit it out, causing her to cry from hurt feelings. She quickly defended that she could not cook because she had no mother at home to teach her.

After the memory faded, Enishi's shock from it caused the bowl in his hands to wavier and then tip over, falling to the deck with a loud crash. He then heard footsteps coming back and sure enough, there she stood in the entryway with her hands on her hips.

"What is the meaning of you wasting food?!" Kaoru demanded. "I know it's not the best cook in the world, but you can't be wasting it when we have starving citizens in Japan!" When he just stared at her, she asked, with a hardened nature, "What?!"

"You brought me sashimi...and I spit it out because it tasted awful." he breathed.

"Well, I know my cooking tastes off, but that's because-"

"You had no mother at home to teach you the proper way to cook." he finnished.

Kaoru's deminor relaxed and she shiffed while she asked, "You...remember that...?"

"Aa..." Enishi answered. "I remember it." He then cleared his throat, and it was as if he took on a carefree attitude about it and concluded, "But it doesn't matter now-"

"Because I'm in love with Kenshin." Kaoru informed.

He made a sour look about that, but otherwise, said nothing further. Again, she shifted and practically whispered, "You know...Enishi, if you hadn't left...if you would've stayed in Tokyo with me-your family..."

"What?" he encouraged.

_It would've been different; entirely._ Kaoru concluded in her mind, but she shook her head and said aloud, "It's nothing."

She turned and walked away once again.

Another week passed, and Enishi continued to recover from his body wounds. He finally took the wraps off, but when he looked down he saw the scar on his chest from Battousai's Amakekeryu No Hirameki attack, and it was still blantently thick on his skin. He smiled hard at it and wondered if that false saint held a grudge against him.

It made no difference to him.

As he made his way down the hallway, he glanced into the woman's room, and saw her depressed, downcast face, and grew sour once again. Maybe she thought of Battousai.

She glanced up at him and her face grew more sad, which irked him, and she stood up to walk over to him, still with her downcast face.

_"Your smile is better."_

_"Eh?"_

_"You look better when you smile."_

He blinked the memory away just as Kaoru wrapped her arms around him. He stiffened as he thought, _What the hell?!_

"Was I not a good friend to you, Enishi?" she sniffed into his chest. "Is that why you don't fully remember me?"

He wanted to push her away; just push her away and not look at her again, but he could not help but notice that her body was soft; muscular but soft. Still he did not return the embrace even though his arms shook with the effort to restrain himself from wrapping themselves around her strong but feminine body.

"...You...were a good friend." Enishi uncomfortably reassured, even though his self-protective veil of insanity would not allow him to remember more than bits and pieces.

She sighed as if she knew he lied, and she looked up at him and asked, "Where is my friend in you, the one I made a promise to?"

"What promise?"

_"...If we can't find anyone else to marry, then let's marry each other. Promise?"_

_"I promise!"_

Enishi silently gasped, and then his topaz-blue eyes softened, and Kaoru knew her friend had reimerged, even before he said, "You were a good friend...you were my only friend."

She was relieved to at last see her best friend as she reminded, "I made a promise, and I always keep my promises."

"Um...we're not married." he countered.

"I know, and I want to marry someone else, because I love him, but I liked you first, and I made you a promise first."

**(Lemon starts here)**

What the hell are you doing?

His mind asked him that again and again. This was not part of his Jinchuu; she had no further purpose for him other than to bring Battousai to his own personal hell, which he successfully did. Still, she caused his memory to stir, and she brought down his self-protective veil that fogged his mind. He knew her, and she was dear to him, that much he remembered.

They were childhood friends, but he knew, if he just would have stayed...they would have been more than friends. If he would not have gone off to Kyoto to follow his sister, if he just would have adored Kaoru more than Tomoe, their future would have been much more different.

Kaoru...she was so strong but feminine at the same time. Her skin was soft to his touch and very warm everywhere he caressed. Her lips were like velvet and she smelled of jasmine; such a sweet but seductive scent. Her delicate, but calloused, hands caressed him everywhere and they were more sentual than the another woman he had.

His mind could not believe that he was doing this, even when he buried himself inside her, even when she winced and gave a short cry of pain, he could not believe he was being intimate with a woman who was attached to someone else.

Then again, he had no problem with it when he was with Xin, Huang's wife, twice, but that was a different time, a different place, and a different circumstance.

Kaoru was attached to someone else, even though it was him who was buried inside her, taking pleasure from her body, and hearing her sweet voice groan. Why was she doing this? If she loved Battousai, then why was she doing this with him?

Enough questions! He told his mind as he picked up his thrusts, grinding against each other, hearing her voice cry out. He was facinated with her perfect breasts; those soft peaks that were such a delight to touch, hold, and taste.

Not to mention her inner mucles held him perfectly and clinched with each thrust as they worked their way towards their release...

**(Lemon ends here)**

They laid on their backs staring up at the cealing even though they were side by side. There was a tense atmosphere in the room that threatened to choke the life out of them, but still they both remained silent, until Kaoru cleared her throat.

"That was...different." she said.

Enishi turned his head to look at her, but she kept her gaze at the cealing. He raised an eyebrow and informed, "Well, excuse me for not having more expirence with more than one other woman besides you."

He lost his virginity to Xin, Huang's wife, and the first time was a disaster, since he had never known a woman's warmth, and he did not know what to do. He was literally done after two minutes and that beautiful Chinadoll laughed at him for it with her high-pitched voice. She poked fun of him and told the other women of the mafia society about it, and in turn, they laughed too. After being fed up with being laughed at, Enishi bedded her a second time and made sure that she never laughed at him again, and he did his job very well. That was why he never came to Xin's defense when Huang believed the rumors and ordered his wife to be killed, but make it look like a suicide.

No one laughs at Yukishiro Enishi.

"I'm not saying it was bad." Kaoru said, bring him out of his thoughts. "I just didn't know it was like that. My father never explained things to me, because I'm a girl. It was my friend, Tae, who explained it to me...even though she had never been married. That's why, if I ever have a daughter, I vow to tell her everything."

"Uh-huh," Enishi said, uninterested. "Good luck with that." He got up, gathered his clothes, and proceeded to put them on. "I have another meeting to attend."

"Oh, you mean with that shady man?" Kaoru asked as she sat up.

"Woo Heishin," he corrected. "Yes, him."

He finished putting his clothes on, adjusted them, and then left the room. Kaoru fell back into laying position and thought that was rather cold. Of course, she could not help but notice he also had a very good, well-toned physic. Was he the friend she remembered or was he just a stranger?

That could not be right. She had seen it in his eyes; there had been a softness there until they were done. Maybe he was just like Kenshin and he did, in fact, switch from one person to the other, only with Enishi, he switched from bad person to good person, whereas Kenshin switched from good person to bloodthirsty assassin; just like yin and yang.

Kenshin...

Kaoru sighed when she thought of him. Would he forgive her for what she had done? She could not imagine him holding a grudge against her for it, but would that make him less likely to want her now? Although he had not asked her to marry him, they certainly made it clear, before Enishi came to bring them his Jinchu, that they had feelings for each other, but nothing else was said. Maybe he was waiting for after all this to be over to make his move. Then again, he should have made his move after they came back from Kyoto, after the fight with Shisho. They had grown closer, no doubt about that, and he finally allowed himself to grow close to her and to their friends. He should have made his move then...

Another week passed and Kaoru still watched the ocean horizon for any ship, whether a relay ship or a resuce ship for her, she did not care which. She was torn between staying with Enishi and wanting to be away from him. Half of her still held hope that her best friend, her first crush, was still there within him, and the other half no longer believed he was.

Surely, the Enishi she knew was still there within the depths of his dark heart.

"Enishi," Kaoru started as she came out to the balcony where he rested next to his table. "Do you remember the time, when we were friends, we went to the river to catch frogs?"

"Nope." he answered casually.

"We did." she insisted. "You were impressed that a girl would catch frogs just like a boy without squealing or getting grossed out. We also caught worms, and we played in mud after the rains. My father said you were a bad infulence on me, but I was determined to keep you."

"Why're you telling me this?"

"I need you to remember me at least once."

Enishi stared with hard eyes, but a challenge had been given, and he never backed out of a challenge. So, he closed his eyes, and brought out the kind boy he had once been. When he opened his eyes again, there he was, even with blue-topaz orbs.

**(Second lemon starts here)**

It was much better the second time.

Finally, the Enishi that Kaoru knew was truly there with her, and she could tell by his soft touches. Sure, his touches were stoft before, but this time, he truly meant it; intimately. She could only feel and remember to breathe as warm sensations washed over her body with every tender caress.

He was truly there with her, fully in his mind, as he explored her and she returned the favor. She watched his every move with eyes clouded over with pleasure, every thrust, every gasp, and every touch.

Kaoru always knew that it would be Enishi, no matter the circumstances, and it seemed as though, with a twist of fate, they would be thrown back into each other's lives once more. This was fully her decision, a way to comfort him, for physical intimacy seemed to all he knew to view women as, and she would never regret it.

He whispered her name, and she could not help the warm feelings that spread through her when she heard his baratone voice finally call her something other than "woman." She supposed this would become a distant memory, never to be brought up again...

Kaoru gasped and arched her back when she released and he held onto her tightly as she released, relishing in the pleasure of it all, and he followed soon after.

This would become a distant memory, because the Enishi she knew would be gone with the rising of the sun, and they would once again be strangers...

**(Second lemon ends here)**

Not even the next day, strangers once more, Kaoru watched Enishi practice his Wattoujitsu with a tree, nonetheless. She supposed a tree made for a useless opponent due to its inability to perform defence or offence.

"I shouldn't have fed the enemy." she commented, calling him "the enemy" to put distance between them.

"Your nasty cooking has nothing to do with it." Enishi snapped back, almost earning him a throttle from the young woman.

Even though it was the first time, in a long time, that he teased her, she knew better than to give into false hope and believe that he was still her friend. That belief was compounded when Woo Heishin informed Enishi that Kenshin had once again stood up and took to action. She could not help but feel immense relief, happiness, and excitement to hear that he was still alive, but that was short-lived with the dark smile and evil laughter that came from the white-haired man.

It only took a few days for Kenshin and her friends to come on a ship to save her, and finally, both Kenshin and Enishi dueled for the last time. The victory had been hollow and bitter-sweet, for there was no real winner at the end of the battle. Unlike Jine and Shishio, Enishi did not die, but kept living, even though he wanted to die, and Kaoru looked on with pity and sadness for him.

Tomoe was the only one, at the time, who could save him.

Once again, as it was after every battle, Kenshin and Kaoru had to pick their lives back up and continue on. After Megumi's heartfelt talk about his swordstyle becoming useless to him after a while, Kenshin accepted it, for he knew he could not keep fighting; could not keep struggling to the very end of his life. He had to have peace somewhere.

His wounds healed and he recovered. One day, once again on the engawa, Kenshin and Kaoru sat together enjoying the peace. It took every ounce of courage she had, but she told him about Enishi. He was surprised, of course, as was to be expected.

"Why didn't you tell me before," he asked gently. "That you were friends with him as a child?"

"I didn't want to distract you with that sort of information." she answered. "I honestly didn't know myself if he was the same friend of mine...but when I saw him, I knew he was the same person...and not the same." She gave a slight chuckle with a wince on her face. "I don't think that makes sense."

"It makes perfect sense." Kenshin said.

"There's...something else, too..."

And she told him, not in detail, but at least honestly of what happened between her and Enishi. Kenshin was confused, of course, but he did not harbor a grudge, or remind her of it, even years after they were married. There was no need to bring it up again, and just as Kaoru suspected, it became a very distant memory.

That was until she was informed, by Kenshin, that the person who had their daughter for almost a year was none other than Yukishiro Enishi. She was shocked, of course, as memories of that lone island came back to her mind. After the shock passed, she was downright disgusted with Enishi, and she wanted to scream at him, to let him know what he put her family through for the past year...

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Kaoru sighed to herself as she blinked away the memories that had not been reproduced in her mind for eighteen years. Koishi had long since left her mother to herself on the engawa.

Now, it seemed as though fate had once again thrown Enishi back into their lives. The question she pondered, was it perminate this time? If Koishi was determined to stay with Enishi, then it was, without a doubt, a sealed deal.

It was time; time to lay the past to rest...

_To Be Continued..._

**AN:** I got stuck when I was writing this chapter, and when I get stuck, I tend to stray to my other fan works; ones that I haven't posted just yet (and they're all RK, too). Before I knew it, two weeks had passed, and I was like, "Crap! I need to update that story!" So, please, please, please forgive me!

I just want to let it be known, I am very much a Kenshin-Kaoru fan, but I am open-minded to alternate couples, and my first favorite in that catagory is Enishi-Kaoru. I just find it strange, when I read the manga, that all of Kenshin and Kaoru's friends refer to Enishi as "Yukishiro," which is basic Japanese etiquette, even though they say it without any "san" or other honorfic at the end of his surname. Kaoru, however, refers to him as "Enishi," and no that is not a translation error; she does call him by his first name.

I always wondered why that is, and basic Japanese etiquette would not allow for Kaoru to copy Kenshin when he calls his brother-in-law "Enishi." What could possibly have happened for Kaoru to be on a first-name basis with our favorite antagonist? And why did Enishi go from stone-cold to teasing Kaoru about her cooking?

Another thing that I was interested in, was Tomoe referred to Enishi as a "kind boy." Okay...if we re-read the manga, there's nothing that would pass him off as a "kind boy." Sure, he adored his sister (not incestuously as some supposed "fans" of RK seemed to think), and maybe he was thoughtful towards her, but Tomoe didn't seem like the type who would call someone "kind" unless she truly saw it. She even said Kiyosato Akira was kind and tried hard in everything he did. Obviously, she had to observe him to find that quality in him, which meant, it had to be kindness beyond just being kind to her. So, how did Enishi display kindness towards other people?

That was how I got this idea that, possibly, Enishi and Kaoru knew each other as children since they both come from Edo/Tokyo and they're three years apart. It might be a small possibility, but it is still there. Another thing about that, Japanese people live in such a tight-knit community where everyone knows everybody that the possibility seems more likely now, rather than they were simply strangers.


	25. Chapter 25

**AN:** I got everyone's reviews for the previous chapter (chapter 24), and I understand your confusion. Without making any excuses, I will just plainly admit that I am not talented enough to create a love story with just one chapter (look how long it took me to finally get Enishi and Koishi together). I could've made it a few chapters long, but we're already to chapter 25 and I didn't want to stretch this story out more than necessary, even though we're almost to the end. Plus, the whole time I was writing chapter 24, I was thinking how much I dislike the chapter because I knew I wouldn't be able to pull it off and be convincing, and I know it showed blatantly in my writing. And for those who decided to stay with this story after that, I very much thank you!

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 25_

How long had he been in this cell? A few days? Weeks? There was no window in the isolation cell so that he could count how long he had been there; count with the rising and falling cycle of the sun. His only light was the dim glowing lantern on the wall, and he knew every crack and crevice of the bricks. His true light, however, was Koishi's smile, which he saw every time he closed his eyes; the sound of her laughter, which he remembered more than any other, and the softness in those unusual eyes of hers.

All he had before him was time; time in an endless, dark cell. So, with time, all he could do was drift...

When he opened his eyes there was snow everywhere on the ground and snow weighing on every bare tree branch. The white fluff even softly fell from the sky like cold, white butterflies. There were several footsteps crunching on the snow and finally, the footsteps came to stop before him.

Enishi did not need to look up to see who it was that was standing before him; the white kimono and glances of the purple shawl gave it away, but he still raised his head to see her beautiful face staring down at him, her lips still unsmiling.

"Nee-san." He greeted with his typical low, baritone voice.

She still stared down at him with her dark, doe-like eyes, her ebony hair that framed her face, contrasting off her pale skin, and her lips were still turned downwards. Her thin eyebrows turned upwards, still frozen in the state of deep hurt since that horrible day on his island that he saw her unsmiling face.

Enishi lowered his head once again, his eyes on her feet and the snow on the ground as he softly cried, "I am trying, Nee-san."

She did not answer him for what seemed like a long time before he finally heard his sister's very soft, songbird voice ask, "What are you doing, Enishi?"

He snapped his head back up in surprise; her face was still the same, but this was the first time she had spoken to him. It was not the delusion of hearing her voice as it had been in the past, due to his mental instability, but it was truly his own sister speaking to him.

"I...I was saving Koishi." He simply answered.

While her lips were still unsmiling, her eyebrows smoothed out and her face became impassive, no longer the look of deep hurt. His eyes widened at his sister's sudden change of expression.

"Then what are you doing here?" she asked with her void face.

Enishi inhaled with a shutter, but truthfully answered, "I don't know. I don't even know what this situation is about."

"Then why do you proceed?"

"I have to save Koishi...by keeping her away from me."

"...Enishi," he looked up at his sister and she continued speaking, "What was the first reason why you left the Fallen Village?"

"...To...help those effected by the crime organizations." he answered.

"What happened since then?" Tomoe asked.

"I lost my way...again." Enishi said and added "again" to admit that he was wrong the first time he interrupted Battousai's life.

Tomoe nodded once before she explain, "Ever since that day at the Fallen Village, when you got back up to pay for your sins by helping others, you did do that. However, you decided to shorten your 'sentence' by tearing down the orginazations you once ran, and you have fulfilled your duties exceptionally.

"Without delay, you fulfilled them, but upon fulfilling them, you went back to your old self; killing mercilessly, and even though it has brought you faster results, you still took human life that was not yours to take. You are alive, Enishi, but you were living as if you had already died. You needed Koishi. She brought your soul back to you, brought your kind heart back, and gave you a happiness you had never had before."

_I choose to go with you._

Koishi's words rang in his mind and the same happiness he had felt came back to him. With eyes closed, he smiled again, but he soon asked, "But why did it have to be her? Why couldn't it have been someone else who I needed? Why did it have to be…**his** daughter?"

"Is she the most important person to you now?"

Enishi blinked at his sister's interigation and wondered if this was really his sister he was conversing with, or if it was his own diluted mind. He had to pause to think deeply on the question presented to him.

Koishi was the daughter of the man he had hated the most in his life. Did it matter to him anymore, her relation to the redheaded demon? Would he always be reminded of him when he was with the young woman?

Enishi shook his head and muttered, "Why did it have to be her?"

"You needed her." Tomoe softly answered. "No one else but Koishi could have fulfilled the task. Her heart is pure, and can endure even the vilest of acts against her. She doesn't have a single ounce of hate in her, therefore, it could only be her.

"There was a lesson in all of this, Enishi. It had to be Koishi, not only because of her pure heart, but also because it is time to forgive him for what he had done. You no longer hate him, yes, but you never forgave him; and now that you have Koishi, you need to forgive her father."

Enishi sighed in contempt, revealing the bitterness in his heart, and said, "Koishi has her family back now. What if I just leave her be and never see her again?"

Tomoe's impassive face gazed upon her little brother as she asked, "Can you let her go?"

"…No, I can't do that." He gudgingly, and truthfully, answered. "I am already attatched, and selfish by nature. I can never let her go again."

Tomoe nodded once in understanding and said, "Then you know what you must do. Live again, Enishi...with Koishi."

"Just one thing, Nee-san," Enishi requested. "To give me strength, please smile for me just once."

"Enishi," Tomoe reasoned, although her face became more gentle. "You no longer need my smile to give you the strength to fight."

In his mind's eye, he saw a vision of Koishi's brilliant smile; kind and warm with a deep longing for him to always be near. It was the smile he knew he needed to give him strength.

"Koishi is real," Tomoe concluded. "She is alive, and what really matters. Protect the one person most important to you; the one who makes you happy."

"Nee-san…"

Before she left, Tomoe smiled at her brother once more; a kind, understanding smile. She turned around with her black geta and walked back into the snow storm...

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Enishi opened his eyes; the snow was gone and he once again was in his jail cell. He heard the clink and clatter of the iron door being unlocked and opened. He looked to his left, and there stood the woman he had not seen in eighteen years.

She looked apprehensive, but she stepped inside and the guard closed the iron door, but not fully, so she could escape if she needed. Kaoru gave him a wobbly smile as Enishi stood to his feet and the air around them was thick with tension.

What could he possibly say to her? Hey, you were great, but I decided I wanted to diddle your daughter?

"You distroyed half my dojo." Kaoru snapped at him. "You won't believe how much it costed me to repair it, and not to mention how long it took. If it wasn't for volunteers from other dojo owners, I believe I would just now be finished with repairs."

Enishi stared as if wondering if she really said that, and he even asked, "...Did you come all this way just to tell me that?"

"It's not a long walk from my dojo to here." she informed.

"Then why're you here?"

"...Closure." Kaoru simply answered.

"Closure?"

The woman nodded and then said, "Just so you know, I didn't tell Koishi about...that."

Enishi was relieved to hear that Koishi did not know, for that would make their relationship that much more difficult, but said, "So...you need closure from that?"

Kaoru nodded once before she added, "And an apology about my dojo."

"...What...?"

"Otherwise, I'll never forgive you."

"Okay...I'm...s-sorry about your...dojo." Enishi forced himself to say before he concluded, "And don't go telling your misfit friends that I apologized, either."

Kaoru could not help but chuckle at him, but she nodded in agreement before she said, "I came here for closure...and some answers."

"Alright," he started cautiously. "Closure first?"

She once again nodded before she said, "About what happened between us. I think this is eighteen years over due."

He shifted a bit before he informed, "I didn't do it out of malicious intent...just so you know."

"And thank you for telling me that." she thanked before she carried on. "And I did it because of a number of reasons...I was lonely, for one. No offense, but you're not good for company. I just got my friend back only to realize that he was no longer there, and then I got him back again, and then lost him again. Then, the unknow state of Kenshin contributed to that...but I did do it willingly. It's in the past, though, and until now has never been brought up again. And just so you know...Koishi never knew about you."

"How has Koishi been these past few days? ...Or however long its been." he asked unabashed.

Kaoru could hear something underlining in his voice and she started, "Enishi, about Koishi...she does look very similar to me...I'm just asking that you let her go if your reasons are less than honorable."

Enishi shook his head before he replied, "I know that she looks similar to you, but she also looks similar to him." They both knew, without a name, who "him" was. "I always wondered why she looked very familiar, but I could never figure out her identity, and now I know my answer: because I never saw her as you; I always saw her as Koishi."

She nodded once to indicate understanding and Kaoru said, "However, this...relationship between you and Koishi..." She drifted off with a shaking of her head to inform him of her disaproval.

He tilted his head a tad before he asked, "And your unwillingness to give approval has nothing to do with what happened on that island?"

"NO!" she insisted. "I don't begrudge you for that. It has everything to do with the fact that you still lead a dangerous life that I don't want Koishi involved in! I don't want her involved in that, and I don't want to be constantly thinking in my mind if she's alright; if she's still alive."

Enishi pursed his lips and nodded once before he agreed, "I'm a bad influence, I'll give you that. And she was in danger because of me, but I was trying to resolve that before that stupid investgator, Hiroshi, sent a message to all the mafia in the whole of China, asking if they knew a Himura Koishi; yes, first and surname."

Kaoru's eyes widened with horror before she sputtered, "Why...didn't Kenshin...tell me that?"

He shrugged his shoulders before he guessed, "Maybe he's trying to sort everything out. He might not even know himself. I actually came here because I found out, from another mafia member, that Huang, another mafia member, was here because he received the message."

"So...you were looking for Huang?" she figured.

"Yes, but the person I saved her from a few days back was Gang, Huang's right hand man; not Huang himself."

"So Huang is still here in Tokyo with Bao?"

"Well that's a possi..." he started before his mind processed what she said. "Wait...how do you know Bao?"

She worried her lower lip and then answered, "Before you came back, we had a Hanami picnic during the Sakura festivals. Everything was fine, everyone was having a good time, until a woman recognized Koishi. They spoke in some other language, and then a Chinese man saw her, and they spoke the same language. They were about to leave, but the man turned back to Koishi and...embarrassed her in front of everyone. Soon after, she told us the woman is Bao, and the man is Huang."

"How did he embarrass her?"

"He asked her, in Japanese, if my breasts were as pretty as hers."

He stared at her for a bit before he informed, "I swear, Huang never saw her nude, so he doesn't know what he's saying." Although he, himself, knew what Koishi's perfect, beautiful, bouncy breasts looked like, but he was not going to say that aloud.

Kaoru inhaled deeply before she inquired, "Do you think that the other mafia members will leave her alone?"

"That is unclear." Enishi answered. "They do, however, know her full name and location, courtesy of that bastard."

"Then how do we, her family, protect her?"

"That's what I tried to do in the first place." Enishi answered. "I tried to push her away from me by telling him a distorted story of what happened, because I figured only he was strong enough to protect her. And who protects the daughters better than the fathers?"

With a slight frown, Kaoru asked, "Kenshin?" He nodded once to answer, but was dismayed when she shook her head, and dread started to fill him as she spoke, "He can't...Kenshin can't protect her because...he can't...Hiten Mitsurygi Ryu is useless to him now."

Enishi's eyes widened before he cussed, "Shit!"

"What?"

"If I would've known that, then I would never have lied to him and I would be finding a way out of here!" He could seriously slap himself right now.

"Why would you want to escape?" Kaoru asked, now filled with regret for exposing such vulnerable information because her husband would not be able to fight if he decided to attack.

Without missing a second, Enishi gave his answer in a tone that was irritated because the woman had obviously not paid attention to what he was saying, "To protect Koishi!"

She had to blink at that as she frowned slightly. He would bipass Kenshin's vulnerablility to protect Koishi? Perhaps her daughter was correct; maybe he did change. Eighteen years ago, he would have been thrilled at this type of information, but now he was focused only on Koishi.

"Well...our son knows Hiten Mitsurygi Ryu," she said. "He would more than likely be the one to protect her, but Kenshin doesn't want him using it too much because of his small stature, and that sword style wreaks havoc on people whose bodies are small. That's why Kenshin can't use it anymore."

"Our son?" Enishi repeated.

"Erm, mine and Kenshin's son, Kenji."

"How does the boy know Hiten?"

"Rebellious teenager that he was," Kaoru explained. "He was not satisfied with Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, and he set off to Kyoto to seek the master of Hiten. That man reluctantly taught him only a few moves, but Kenji...he's incredibly smart and he can learn a sword style just by hearing it. Finally, he settled down and he's a good son now."

"Just by hearing it, huh?" Enishi repeated almost inclined to find it disbelieving. "Something like that makes for a dangerous individual later in life."

"Well...Kenshin's patience paid off."

"So, besides your son, anyone else able to protect her?"

Kaoru very, very reluctantly agreed, "You."

"I'm stuck in here." he reminded.

"I'm sure that, if Hiroshi is really as corrupt as you say he is, Saitou-san has probably figured it out by now. You know, he's rather obsessed with weeding out corrupt individuals."

"I'm sure he is." Enishi agreed but with an air of sarcasm. "And what does it matter if that Saitou guy discovers anything about Hiroshi?"

"Saitou will find a way to correct this, and I'm sure, once he knows the truth, Kenshin will help."

"You really think Battousai would help me?" Enishi asked, skeptically.

Kaoru pursed her lips, annoyed with his distrust, and answered, "Kenshin is not unfair. Sure, you broke the 'no swords' law, and because you did it in public, Saitou had no choice but to arrest you, but I'm confident that they would both work something out for you, once Hiroshi is out of your investigation."

"So..." he began when he realized something. "If you're here, then who's protecting Koishi?"

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The day was already half way over as Koishi made her way to Oguni clinic. Hopefully, now, she would get her wraps off her wrists. After that, she planned to wash as much laundry as possible. She did not like to feel useless, but that was how she felt when she could not wash the laundry, because she could not get her wraps wet, and her father had to compensate for her lacking chore.

She weaved through the crowd until she finally came to the very familiar building. When she entered, she sat in the waiting room to wait for the doctor to come out. As she waited, she took Tomoe's hair decor out of her hair and mindlessly played with the gold tastles.

Koishi decided to leave the dojo, unescorted, after breakfast. Her father left early with Saitou, once again, and her mother left to "visit a friend," whoever that was. Her brother was busy with the students, as was Yahiko, and Shinya was just one of the ones helping to train the students.

"Koishi-chan?" Megumi said with surprise.

"Megumi-sensei," Koishi said as she held out her wrapped wrists, and then put the hair décor back in her hair. "I'm hoping to get these off today."

The doctor nodded once and showed the young woman into a treatment room. Once she was seated across from her patient, Megumi started to unwrap the bandages from Koishi's wrists. She looked them over on both sides and gave a nod of approval.

"You don't need another treatment." the doctor announced.

"That's good to hear." Koishi responded with a sigh of relief.

"Is everything alright?" Megumi suddenly inquired.

She gazed at the other woman with her unusual eyes before she asked, "Oji-san told you, didn't he...?"

She gave a single nod at her answer before she concluded, "That stubborn rooster just wasn't thinking correctly. He didn't mean to yell at you; he was just scared."

"Scared?" Koishi repeated and found it hard to believe that such a strong fighter as her uncle would be scared.

Megumi nodded again and said, "You know you're like a niece to him, and he does care for you the way an uncle would. He was scared because he thinks you're going to be harmed in some form...or killed. The way we remember Yukishiro is not exactly positive, but as the one who brought us a period of much pain and suffering."

"So...does he have to live with that image the rest of his life?" Koishi argued. When the doctor blinked at that, she continued, "I really don't blame everyone for being so weary, especially Ottotsuan. I, however, have very positive memories of him. You won't believe how many times Enishi saved me; and no matter what anyone else thinks, I still believe he did not know who I was, nor did he purposefully put me in dangerous situations. If anything, he tried to keep me away from them."

"By exposing you to the Shanghai mafia?" Megumi said, skeptically.

Koishi sighed and agreed, "Yea, I know; but later, he tried to keep me away."

"But it was too later by then." the doctor concluded.

"Yes." the young woman reluctantly agreed. "And I don't know why he left me behind in Yokohama, but I refuse to believe he's currently as bad as everyone thinks he is."

Megumi stared at Koishi for a moment before she warned, "...Just don't get your hopes up too high."

Koishi raised an eyebrow but remained silent. As she left the clinic to go home, her mind drifted. How can she defend Enishi if the odds were against him? More importantly, why would he tell her father such a distorted story of what happened between them?

She halted, looked at the path towards the dojo; she turned around and walked towards the police station.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

_"So...if you're here, then who's protecting Koishi?"_

Those words haunted Kaoru as she raced home as face as her kimono would allow her. Of all days to not wear her gi and hakama!

When she got to the dojo, she surprised everyone when she all but burst through the gates, and everyone ceased their training to glance her way.

"Has anyone seen Koishi?!" Kaoru demanded.

All the students, instructors included, looked to and fro, but there was no sign of the young woman anywhere. A sense of dread started to fill Kenji and he turned to the students and announced, "Classes are over and you're all dismissed." He turned to his mother and informed, "I think I know where she might've gone."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Koishi entered the police station, and even though Enishi was in jail, she had a sense of anticipation at the thought of seeing him again. Maybe she could get her questions answered and they could sort everything out together.

She did not want to go home just yet. She desperately wanted to talk to him, and if he did not want to talk, then just merely staring at him would be good enough for her. So, she walked inside the building to seek out the man she wanted to see.

Inside was chaos; policemen were shouting at suspects, people were being processed by the droves, and there was noise and paper everywhere. Koishi looked around with wide eyes and decided since everyone is too busy, she would just go to the log, see which cell he was in, and go there herself to visit him.

Koishi had been to the policestation countless times to see her father, so she knew the logbook was where the cell keys were. She went straight through the choas, no one paid any attention to her, and she made it to the logbook.

Koishi quietly grabbed the key ring from the wall, making sure none of them jingled, looked at the inmate list, and saw "Yukishiro Enishi-cell 23." She held the cell key in her hand more tightly because she was not going to talk to her former lover with iron bars between them.

Before she could even start her search for cell tweny-three, there was a voice of authority who demanded, "What're you doing here?!"

Koishi jumped and turned, with the key still in her clenched hand, and soon discovered she had been spotted by one of the police officers. She swallowed hard and sputtered as she tried to think of a good explination as to why she had a key in her hand, but all she could squeak out was, "I'm just here to visit someone."

The policeman looked her up and down, no doubt knew who she was, but only replied, "Visiting hours are almost over." He paused as if pondering his next alternative until he looked at the shiny object in her hand and asked, "What do you have there?"

Koishi's heart pounded, for she knew it looked like a very bad situation, but she held out the object and quickly stated, "I was only taking it to see him."

Once again the officer looked at her, calmly took the key while he firmly held her wrist behind her back, as if under arrest, and said, "Follow me."

She had no choice but to allow the man to guide her into an awaiting room with a simple Western table and two Western chairs; the interiogation room. Oh great; how was she going to explain this one to her family, or more importantly, to her father?

"Wait here." The policeman said before he closed the door behind him and locked it.

Koishi sat in one of the chairs and rubbed her sweaty palms on her kimono. This was definitely not how she planned this! Who was the investigating officer going to be that arrested her? She knew many policemen in the office would get a laugh if her own father arrested her for trying to help a criminal escape, which she did not try to do.

She could just imagine that, too, in iron cuffs as her father led her away to a jail cell.

Finally, after staring at the white brick walls in the room for what seemed like an eternity, the door finally opened, and in stepped a person who she was not expecting, but simultaneously, he fit the situation.

"So...Himura Koishi, you're here because you were attempting to help one Yukishiro Enishi escape."

"No, Hiroshi-san, I was just going to visit him." Koishi retorted.

"Then why were you found with his cell key in your hand?" Hiroshi interrogated.

The young woman sighed hard before she agreed, "It looks bad, yes, but I wasn't trying to help him escape. I haven't seen him once since he was put here."

"Well, staying away for a while to let everyone's guard down," Hiroshi accused. "Then coming to the policestation when it's at it's busiest peak, and then being discovered with his cell key in your hand points to attempted assistance to help a criminal escape. Plus, you are his closest assosiate; all that points to you being in very big trouble."

"I wasn't trying to help him escape." Koishi insisted.

Hiroshi's eyes never left the young woman as he walk over to the Western table and sat down in the Western chair across from her.

"This is what you're going to do," The investigator demanded. "You're going to do everything I say, and if you don't you will find yourself without a family."

Koishi's breath hitch in her throat when she heard the investigator's threat against her family. When Hiroshi was satsified that he got the young woman's undivided attention, he continued, "That stupid Fujita investigator pulled the death sentence off of Yukishiro, and just gave him 'time already served.' He will be getting out in a few days."

Koishi could not help but feel immensely relieved to hear that Enishi was not going to be sentence to death, which she did not even know about to begin with, and that he would be getting out in only a few days.

Wait...why would Saitou go so easy on Enishi?

"And because of that," Hiroshi continued. "There's some other matters that have to be dropped...Oh, you don't know what I'm talking about. Well, see, I get paid very well to take crimes that the rich commit, murder for instance, and place them on people less fortunate; but because Fujita involved himself in this case, it messed up everything planned, so I had to resort to another plan. I was going to go to your home and arrest you myself, due to Fujita and Himura being out of the office right now, for being involved in Yukishiro's 'criminal activity,' but you coming here has made it so much more easier."

Koishi was almost afraid to ask, but she inquired anyway, "...What...do you mean?"

Hiroshi smiled a cynical-type smile and answered, "I've already been paid very handsomely to deliver you to two men you already know. That's why you're going to listen very carefully and do exactly what we say."

"...Two men...?" she whispered.

As if to answer her inner questions, Hiroshi went to the door, opened it, and two men walked into the room. After the two men entered the room, the investigator quickly shut the door and locked it.

Koishi jumped to her feet in the bllink of an eye, almost stumbled over the chair she was siiting in, and backed away until her back hit the wall. The two men who entered the room were none other than Huang and Feng.

She knew better than to trust Feng anymore, especially since she saw him on the streets, conversing with Gang, and he was here, now, with Huang. She opened her mouth to release an ear-piercing scream; it was Huang who approached the young woman, and with reflexes faster than a spider pouncing on its prey, he wrapped one arm firmly around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides, and the other arm came around to place his hand firmly over her mouth.

Koishi, of course stuggled while her screams remained in her throat. She even stomped her geta-wearing heal on his foot, to which Huang simply moved his foot away and held her tighter to him.

"Don't make this more difficult, Koishi." Feng warned, and then he turned to Hiroshi. "Which way out?"

Before the investigator could lead the trio away, Koishi bit down hard on Huang's hand. The man hissed in pain, but did not remove his hand. It made the young woman sick to have the man's blood flow into her mouth, and the salty, matalic taste made her gag, but still he did not remove his hand.

Ignoring the young woman, Hiroshi led Feng, Huang, and a kidnapped Koishi out, through the interigation room, and out the back door. It amazed Koishi the level of unawareness that the policemen had as she was picked up and carried by a Chinese man, who still held on firmly, even with her kicking and struggling, and out the back door they went.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"When was the last time you saw her?" an amber-eyed investigator asked as he glared down at the officer who caught the young woman.

After searching for Koishi, the entire Himura family and their friends ended up at the police station where, surprsingly, she was spotted by another investigator who just came into town from finishing another assignment.

"I don't know what time!" the officer stated.

"So," the whistle-blower started as he rubbed his chin with his right hand. "How much're you being paid to hand the girl over to the corrupt investigator?"

The officer glared up at the man who called in the kidnapping of Himura Koishi, and snapped, "How much candle wax do you use to make your hair stand up like that?"

"You're funny." Chou said with a chuckle. "We should make this guy do stand up comedy in the middle of townsquare."

"Do you know where they took the girl?" Saitou interiogated, ignoring his lacky's comment.

"No..." the officer answered. "The only one who would have answers for you would be Hiroshi-san."

"What do you propose?" Saitou asked after he turned to the redhead behind him.

Kenshin could only think of one resolution. He turned to Kaoru, who was still weeping, and her husband walked over to her and tightly embraced her. The woman's sapphire-blue eyes widened as she felt a familiar foreboding from his arms. It was just like the time he hugged her and then left to fight Shishio in Kyoto.

"Don't leave!" she begged. "You can't fight—"

Kenshin gently lowered his arms and smiled sadly at Kaoru. He shook his head and replied, "I know my sword style is useless to me now. I won't leave, I won't fight, but I know someone who can."

She looked up at him questioningly, but he did not explain himself as he turned to walk deeper into the building. Saitou puffed on his cigarette before he cussed and tossed it aside.

"You know we don't know where she is," the senior officer stated to the former assassin. "I might not be able to help you if this backfires."

"I understand." Was all Kenshin said before he walked directly to the "evidence" room.

He looked about through the labels very quickly as Saitou walked up behind him and asked, "What're you doing?"

The redhead did not answer as he saw the two items he had been looking for, took them and exited the room with his former enemy in tow.

"You can't be serious, Battousai." Saitou said with a deep frown.

"If you don't think I'm serious," Kenshin stated as he grabbed a key from the key rack. "Then watch me, Saitou."

They walked down through the maze of the cellblock until the former assassin stopped at cell twenty-three. The white-haired man had been sitting in the same position he always took, propped up against the brick wall with his legs stretched out, his arms folded, and his eyes closed.

He opened his eyes and looked to his left; amethyst and topaz-blue locked together for the first time in eighteen years. The younger man's eyebrow rose at the haggard appearance of his once hated enemy and the amber-eyed posy beside him.

Kenshin inhaled deeply and said, "She had faith in you. I don't know why, and I know I'll never understand why. Even when I insisted you had been manipulating her, she never believed it. Koishi is the only one left in this world that still thinks highly of you."

He unlocked the iron door and swung it open as he stepped to the side.

"I'm crazy for doing this, for trusting you with this task, but I have no option left." He continued. "She's been kidnapped and has been missing for at least an hour. Hiten Mitsurygi Ryuu is useless to me now, so I can't go and rescue her. Apparently, this is a situation between you and those two Chinese men, with my daughter in the middle. Please, rise once again, and save Koishi."

Kenshin finished his statement by holding out the wattou with the sunglasses. Enishi stared at his once hated enemy for a brief moment before he stood on his feet. He walked over to him, making sure he stood a distance away, and took his wattou sword as well as his spectacles.

"This is only for her." the white-haired man clarified. "Is there any lead to where she might've been taken?"

"No, there is not." Saitou finally spoke. "We only know that two Chinese men, one looked Japanese, kidnapped her, and Hiroshi is involved, but we haven't done anything about him yet. The girl is the first priority."

Enishi's face was very passive as he calmly answered, "Alright." And he walked away.

"Where are you going?" Kenshin asked.

"To find out where she is." Came the answer.

"You really are crazy for trusting him." Saitou said. "How do you know he won't run away?"

"I don't know." Kenshin answered. "I can only hope that Koishi was right about him since he is the only hope she has left."

_To Be Continued…_

**AN:** Yes, Koishi was kidnapped...again. In the next chapter she will express her annoyance at being kidnapped so often. lol Kenshin releasing Enishi from jail is basically a turning point, and we're almost at the end of this story (two more chapters, I think). I'm both saddened and happy to bring you, my readers, to the end of this story...

I hope this chapter made up for the previous chapter, and as always, I love reviews (hint hint).


	26. Chapter 26

**AN:** Sorry this chapter took a while to be posted, but I wanted to make sure it had as much action in it as possible. So, sit back, relax, and please enjoy this one!

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 26_

It was fairly amusing to see Hiroshi practically jump out of his desk seat upon seeing a very angry Yukishiro Enishi open the door and step into the office. Flanking the white-haired man was Kenshin and Saitou, and the senior officer even closed the door behind them after everyone was inside the room.

"What're you doing with him?" Hiroshi demanded, indicating to the 'escaped convict.'

"Where's Koishi?" Enishi demanded, but with a strange, subtle calm to him; a dangerous calm.

Hiroshi looked from Enishi, to Kenshin, who was unusually angry, and it takes a lot to make him angry, and then to Saitou before he sputtered, "From what I understand, she's missing."

Enishi promptly unsheathed his watou and jabbed the blade down on the oak desk where it stuck in a vertical degree and he almost shouted, "Do not play games with me!"

Hiroshi jumped when the blade struck his desk, and the spineless man stuttered, "T-The two men….Feng and Huang, p-paid a very high price f…for her."

Enishi leaned a little closer to the senior investigator and asked, in a very low, dangerous voice, "What do you mean? Like the way I paid for her, or for a different purpose?"

"For a different purpose…" Hiroshi gulped. "For…for drawing you out to save her…again."

"With me out of way, in jail, it would solve all of Huang's problems." The white-haired man voiced his thoughts aloud. "Why would he pay for Koishi, just to draw me back out?"

"I—I don't know." The senior investigator trembled.

"And why would you let them take her?" Saitou now interrogated.

Now Hiroshi glared at the investigator and answered, "Because you took away his death sentence."

"And you let them take the girl for that?" Saitou sighed and got ready to light up a cigarette to steady his frenzied nerves.

"Because I know that you would release him." He answered. "That would give me the perfect chance to put the death sentence back into place."

Saitou calmly flicked his match and it lit up before he informed, "Well, your job status is pretty much over, so you don't have to worry about Yukishiro's well-being."

"What was Koishi doing here, anyway?" Kenshin finally spoke up.

Hiroshi dared to sneer before he said, "She came here to see him."

Frustration overcame Enishi as he turned to the redhead behind him and declared, "Well, damn it, Battousai, I'd say you're daughter has the worst fucking luck."

"Sessha can't help but think so, too." Kenshin muttered.

Enishi then turned back to Hiroshi and demanded again, "So where did they take her?"

Hiroshi looked from the white-haired tiger to his blade, now on his ruined desk, and back to the tiger before he informed, "Even with Fujita on your side, you'll end up back in the execution line again if you leave this building. Why do you bother?"

In an instant, Enishi got his watou sword out of the wooden desk and pressed the blade against the investigator's throat and demanded, "Last chance; where is Koishi?"

Hiroshi trembled and pretty much pissed his pants, but he answered, "They said…well, Feng said that there's a family you once knew, who had property here in Tokyo. They said you would know where it is."

Enishi stared at the soon-to-be former investigator and murmured, "I know where it is." He lowered his tachi, re-sheathed it, and put it back into his rucksack. Then he informed, "I know where she is."

As he started to leave, Kenshin asked, "What family did you know that has property here in Tokyo?"

Without turning around, he simply answered, "The family that cared for me in Shanghai."

O~O~O~O~O~

Yukishiro Enishi knew everyone did not trust him. It was apparent when he went to save Koishi, again, only to be followed by that irritating redhead, that amber-eyed posy, and that man with the gravity-defying blonde hair; but he never cared. They could go to the deepest level of hell for all he cared.

"Enishi." Kenshin said to his former brother-in-law, and the younger man's eyebrow twitched.

"I already told you," Enishi reminded as he kept his eyes ahead. "I will bring her back to you; not a moment later after I save her."

"Don't hold this against Koishi." The redhead pleaded. "It's not her fault she happened to come into your life. She didn't know about me, about you…and Tomoe."

"Don't hold this entire mess against her." the white haired man stated. Without a backward glance, he calmly continued to lead the three men to their destination; his watou sword in a rucksack cloth slung behind his shoulder.

The four men stopped and turned behind them when they heard footsteps approaching. Enishi allowed himself a perplexed expression upon seeing a young man who looked exactly like Battousai when he first met him.

"Kenji!" Kenshin said with a surprised look. "What're you doing here?"

"I saw you leaving the police station." Kenji simply stated. "I'm going to help you save Koishi."

"No," his father practically ordered. "Stay at the dojo; we can handle this."

Not wanting to embarrass his father with an almost public argument, Kenji simply remained silent but stared defiantly at the older man. They had a silent stare-down for a brief moment before Kenshin gave a sufferable sigh and permitted, "Fine; but you stay out of any fighting. Understood?"

"Aa." Kenji simply agreed before his sapphire-blue eyes flicked to the white-haired man.

Enishi simply turned back around and headed in their original direction. He heard the footsteps approach and sure enough, when he looked beside him, he saw the young Battousai copy walking a few paces away from him, but looking up at the taller man.

"So you're Yukishiro Enishi?" Kenji started.

"Aa." Enishi simply answered.

"Koishi spoke of you."

"Oh."

Still walking, Kenji turned and raised an eyebrow at the taller man, but otherwise introduced, "I'm Himura Kenji, Koishi's older brother."

"Koishi spoke of you, too, but not by name." Enishi said and then asked, "Is it true that, for the longest time, you convinced her she was adopted?"

Kenji blinked in surprise, chortled, and then started to laugh while Kenshin, behind them, gave a sufferable sigh. No doubt it was true, and Battousai had to convince his daughter that she really did belong to them, and she was not adopted.

"Kenji." Kenshin simply scolded as the young man continued to laugh.

"Come on, Ottotsuan," Kenji chuckled. "It's just part of growing up with a sibling." He chuckled a few time before he grew serious and said to Enishi, "So, I introduced myself as Kenji, Koishi's older brother."

"...Aa." Enishi simply replied, not understanding where this conversation was going.

"As I said, Koishi did talk about you, after you showed up, and, after this is over and we get her back...I don't know why my father isn't the one doing this, but I will; I demand that you marry Koishi."

Enishi literally stumbled to a halt in his pace and turned to the young man. Kenji stared back without any sign that he would retract his words, and Enishi almost found it amusing that the young man, noticeably shorter than him, would stare back in a challenging manner.

"Kenji!" Kenshin scolded.

Still, Kenji stared up at Enishi in a defiant, challenging way, as Saitou and Chou had enough common sense to keep their mouths shut. As Enishi continued to stare down the younger redhead, he could not help but feel a level of respect for the young man, who was man enough to make such a demand.

"If there's no reason for you to marry her, then marry her for her lost honor." Kenji stated.

Enishi relented, but did not promise, "I will no longer cause her dishonor."

Kenji pursed his lips, not satisfied with the older man's response, not knowing if that man was going to marry his sister or not, but at least he swore that he would no longer cause her dishonor.

"Fine." he agreed before adding, "Ani-san." (older brother-in-law)

Enishi blinked at that before he continued with his lead. Kenshin sighed as they continued to their destination, and he warned, "That's Kenji's way of saying he's not done hounding you until you completely agree with him."

"Stubborn, isn't he?" Enishi allowed himself to say without directing it at the redhead.

"Very." The man agreed.

"I can see where he gets it." The white-haired man murmured.

An irritated Kenji then asked, "Are we almost there?"

"Almost."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

_Kidnapped again..._ Koishi thought to herself and mentally shook her head. _This is starting to get very, very old. I think I'm gunning for the world's "most kidnapped woman" award._

Feng herded Koishi towards a very grand, but very condemned, house. It was a Japanese styled mansion that reached two full stories and stretched a few acres. It looked like the mansion would have been very grand in its youth, but now looked very old and decayed.

The shingles on the roof were cracked and falling off. The hard plastered body of the mansion was cracked and looked like it would fall apart at any moment. It looked so weather-worn. The foliage on the property grew wild and overgrown from apparent years of neglectful upkeep. There were leaves all over the property grounds and they were all dead, dark brown in color, and the leaves crunched under the duo's feet as they walked towards the condemned mansion.

Without upkeep, the dead foliage from seasons past still littered the ground.

Feng paused for a brief moment and Koishi looked up at him as he stared at the mansion with a look of stricken sadness and she blinked as if she could not believe what she is seeing. A twinge of pity bled within her and her curiosity was heightened.

His face then hardened, as if nothing had fazed him, and he proceeded to steer the young woman towards the mansion.

"Stay at the gate and wait for him." Feng ordered.

Huang stayed where he was ordered as the duo made their way towards the decaying mansion.

"Matte!" Koishi protested. "Wait! We're not going in there, are we?!"

"Why not?" Feng asked with a smirk. "She may not look it, but she's still sturdy and, if you're very careful, she won't fall apart on you."

The young woman still protested with vigorous shaking of her head. Still outside, she practically had a coughing and sneezing fit from years upon years of neglect, but still, she did not want to go inside.

"I don't blame you." Feng agreed. "She's seen better days."

He finally released her upper arm and blocked the front gate.

"He will be coming soon." Feng stated in a quiet voice. "You wait over here."

"Where?" She asked.

As an answer, Feng once again grabbed Koishi's upper arm and led her to the engawa of the property where she was forcefully made to sit. When her bottom made hard contact from the wood under her, she hissed from the pain, but otherwise, made no more protests.

She looked up at him and was vaguely surprised when she felt wetness on both of her cheeks, and she wiped it away. With a shaky voice, she stated, "Enishi won't come."

"Yes, he will." He reassured. "He came for you when Ju-Long and Huang took you, and he will come for you now."

"I don't believe that Tokyo police will just release him just to have him save me."

Feng simply chortled and informed, "A father's love for his daughter is something marvelous to behold. Fathers would do anything for their daughters; walk on hot coals, fight vast armies, and even...release their enemies out of jail to save their daughters."

Her eyes widened at that, for she never believed her own father would give Enishi any excuse to see her again. She then realized just how much her father cared for her, to send his former enemy to save her, not knowing if he would fulfill his duty.

"Fathers are always immensely devastated at their daughters' deaths." Feng murmured.

Koishi knew that was a warning, but to offset her anxiety, she asked, "Surely fathers are devastated at their sons' deaths, too?"

"Oh, of course." the vindictive man agreed. "I don't personally know, but I would imagine that parents don't take their children's deaths lightly...nor do the children take their parents' deaths lightly."

Koishi slightly frowned and asked, "What's this about, anyway? You were his right-hand man; what changed?"

"He is on his way." He said with confidence, ignoring her question.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked. "He could just easily run away and forget about me."

"I have never seen him so passionate towards saving someone, that being you. He will save you, without a doubt."

"Are…you going to kill him?"

A wicked smile followed by a, "Of course!" was her answer.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Enishi walked towards the Japanese house with an easy troll as if he were casually walking during a sunny day. He stopped outside the property and stared while his eyes roamed all over the place. Huang stood in the middle of the property with his Chinese sword in his hand. Emishi calmly walked forward, passed the iron gate, with the three other men in tow, while his eyes were trained on his former business partner.

His blue topaz eyes never once glanced towards Koishi.

She was seated on the engawa, the vindictive man's katana a hair's breath away from her throat. She kept her face calm, so as not to distract her lover with tears and cries, but inside, her heart pounded with anxiety and distress.

"Feng," Enishi said with his soft baritone voice. "Whatever this is about, it is between the two of us. Let the girl go."

Feng frowned in confusion and stated, "You had to bring four others to help you?"

"No," Kenshin answered. "We're just here to apprehend you, that we are. We will not fight, that we will not."

"No," Kenji disagreed. "I will fight." Everyone stared, wide-eyed at the young man as he placed a hand on the sakabatou at his waist and glared and said, "I will fight you." He indicated towards Huang.

The Chinese man, Huang, looked back towards Feng, who also shared the same puzzlement, but he shrugged his shoulders as an answer.

"Kenji!" Kenshin scolded, but the fear in his voice was evident.

"You humiliated my sister." Kenji calmly stated, ignoring his father. "And I swore to myself that you will apologize to her. So, I challenge you first."

Huang once again looked at Feng, and the vengeful man shrugged again and said, "Whatever the kid wants; and if anyone interferes, you will see her head half decapitated." He tilted Koishi's head back some more and pressed his katana blade closer to her throat to emphasize his point.

The Chinese man smiled wickedly and beckoned the young man to come face off against him. Kenji made his way to the middle of the courtyard and stood in Mugyou stance with his sword still sheathed.

Huang raised an eyebrow at that and even asked, "Are you that confident, boy?"

Kenji did not reply, and Kenshin demanded, "Kenji, don't you dare fight!"

"You need to have more faith in your son." Enishi murmured to the older man, although he kept his eyes trained on the scene before him. "From what your woman told me, the boy has immense strength."

"Kenji has never fought someone from another country." Kenshin hissed. "He might not know the other man's sword style. There's always that possibility that he won't make it through this fight alive; but I don't expect you to understand."

"No, Battousai, I don't understand." Enishi agreed. "Being that I don't have any children, I don't understand your level of panic. I do, however, tell you to have more faith in your son; if you keep your children sheltered, and they will always get into trouble."

Kenshin said nothing further as Huang and Kenji took their respectful places in the courtyard, which was covered with brown, dead leaves. Kenji looked Huang over, and especially his weapon.

Huang wore traditional changshan, blue in color and embroidered with gold dragons. His weapon of choice was some sort of Chinese sword, shorter than a katana, but longer than a kodachi, as if it was a weapon in between the katana and kodachi. There was a white tassel at the end of the handle, just like Enishi's watou. When Huang unsheathed his weapon, Kenji could see the blade was not like a katana, but was double edged with a narrow point, like a Western blade.

"It's a Jian." Enishi informed.

"I said no interfering." Feng warned.

"I'm not interfering." Enishi calmly fired back. "I'm merely informing the boy of what the weapon is. If he doesn't know how the Jian is used, then my information is invalid."

Huang dropped his sheathe to the ground and Kenji took a battoujitsu stance, and both men never moved as the tension mounted. Finally, the Chinese man rushed while Kenji unsheathed the sakabatou in a speed that would rival his father. Huang held his tachi upright as Kenji brought his sakabatou around to strike, but his was blocked by the Chinese Jian.

Still blocking the battoujitsu attack, Huang frowned at the sakabatou blade before he jumped back.

"I don't know if you know this," Huang informed. "But your blade is on the wrong side, boy."

"It's a sakabatou." Kenji fired back. "It's supposed to be on the 'wrong' side."

Huang merely shrugged and held his tachi as if in gatou form, only with both hands on the tachi's handle, but still caused Saitou to frown indignantly. Kenji lowered his tachi and when Huang came charging, still holding his tachi as if in gatou form, but Kenji swung his tachi with incredible speed and force.

The debris, being the dead leaves on the ground, flew forward and Huang barely had time to block the dead foliage from causing damage to his eyes, but he blocked it all with his arm shielding his face. Even though he was temporarily blinded, Huang swung his tachi upward, which he somehow knew Kenji was, and the young man saw the blade coming towards him. So, he moved around in a spiral motion, but the narrow tip struck his upper arm; however, he made it through, almost unscathed, and landed on his feet easily.

Kenji looked down at his arm and saw a small trickle of blood flowing down from the small wound, but it was already clotting, so it was not life-threatening. Huang still stood in the same position when he countered Kenji's attack; his arm still shielding his face, but his tachi was held at his side by his hand.

There was a brief pause before Huang straightened up and said, "Dou Ryu Sen and attempted Ryu Tsui Sen."

Kenji's eyes widened, as did pretty much everyone else as well, upon hearing the names of the attacks come from a Chinese man's mouth. How did he know about Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu?

As if to answer everyone's inner thoughts, Huang turned to face Kenji and said, "You fight with the power of the dragon." When Kenji merely frowned, the Chinese man continued, "You Japanese are so disconnected from the continent that you think your sword styles are your own origin. I know about Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu because we Chinese also have a form of it; we call it Lei Long Gonji."

Koishi blinked at that information; Lei Long Gonji was the Mandarin translation of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, both fight with the power of the dragon, as Huang so imminently stated.

"In legend," Huang continued. "In order to become the greatest warrior, a man went out into the deep mountains of China, and slew a dragon. He received all of dragon's power and speed, and this man became the greatest warrior ever known, but it came at a high cost; when this man, the greatest warrior, took in a pupil, and in order for the pupil to be given all of the dragon's power, the master had to be killed in order to obtain it. So there is only one master of the Lei Long Gonji at one time."

Kenji could not help but be in awe by the utter similarities between Lei Long Gonji and Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. Only one master at one time, just like Hiten...and then he chuckled.

"Well," Kenji informed after he chuckled. "Here, in Japan, there are now three masters of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu."

Huang only lifted an eyebrow at the young man and stated, "Then it is not the same as Lei Long Gonji; yours would be imperfect, boy."

"Imperfect?" Kenji repeated before he re-sheathed his sakabatou. "If my 'Lei Long Gonji' is imperfect, without the ougi, then come at me and see if it's imperfect, old man."

"Then I will." Huang agreed and after he said that, he swung his Jian in a continuous circular motion that had no end, just like a windmill. It would be an attack hard to block, so Kenji settled on offense.

When Kenji rushed towards Huang, the young man sidestepped his opponent in a full circular motion, and used the centrifugal force to swing his sakabatou in the same motion aimed for Huang's back; the Ryu Kan Sen.

Huang, with his tachi still in a circular motion, swiftly turned around to block the Ryu Kan Sen and both blades clashed with sparks from the friction as the both came to a halt at their hilts. Now it was a battle of strength and both opponents were matched for height, weight, and strength.

"Lei Long Gonji," Huang informed with a strained voice. "Is not meant to be wielded by a boy as small in body mass as you."

Kenji, also straining against Huang equal strength as both of their sword blades shook in effort to overpower the other, stated, "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu is mine because I've made it my own."

Huang would have laughed, but that would have made it more difficult to overpower the young man. Instead, he clinched his teeth, and because his tachi was shorter, it made it easier to sweep his leg under the young man's foot closest to him, and Kenji would have gone down to the ground, but he caught himself.

His sakabatou, however, almost hit him on the head, but he quickly held the tachi with his left hand, on the bladed side. Kenji hissed as the sharp, burning pain shot through his left hand and blood flowed from the palm down his arm.

"You are not worthy of the dragon's power, boy." Huang hissed, his always pleasant smile now gone. "So I will kill you now."

"Kenji; think!" Kenshin whispered with high panic in his voice.

Kenji frowned in anger that someone would think him unworthy of Hiten, and with that anger, his strength grew; he sidestepped his opponent in the blink of an eye, and swung his blade around to hit the back of Huang's head with a very light form of Ryu Sho Sen: Garami, since he did not have enough momentum to make it powerful.

Finally, Kenji drew blood on his opponent, and Huang blinked in surprise when a trickle of blood came down his forehead. It was powerful enough to draw blood, but not powerful enough to render Huang incapacitated.

"The dragon is mine." Kenji simply informed. "You say my Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu is imperfect. Well, I say your Jian is imperfect."

"Good eye, boy." Enishi murmured and Kenshin spared him a glance.

Huang frowned very deeply at this. How dare that Japanese boy declare his Jian to be imperfect! What does he know?!

"Imperfect?!" Huang hissed. "Explain yourself, boy!"

"If you defeat me," Kenji reasoned. "Then I will tell you how your Jian is imperfect."

"Then let's finish this!"

Huang charged, as did Kenji, and with Shinsoku, he swung his sakabatou with immense speed at all nine vital points for a perfect Kuzu Ryu Sen. Huang swung his tachi around in a circle to block the first five attacks, and then sunk low to the ground, almost laying on his left side, to dodge the last four attacks.

"Kuzu Ryu Sen will not do any good," Enishi murmured. "If the user lacks the physical strength."

"You would know." Kenshin murmured back, for Enishi was the first of his opponents to affectively counter his own Kuzu Ryu Sen.

Kenji, knowing his Kuzu Ryu Sen was defeated, jumped high into the air, somersaulted twice, and brought his sakabatou down hard for a Ryu Kan Sen: Arashi attack. Huang barely had time to block it with his tachi, and he did block it, but the sakabatou still struck his left shoulder. The Chinese man winced at the pain that overtook his shoulder, however, he ignored it and their blades scratched together as Kenji came down from his upward position in a diagonal angle.

The sparks created by the friction between the two blades burned the left side of Huang's face as Kenji passed over and landed easily behind him. Before Kenji had time to come to offense, Huang turned around, his hand on his handle's tassel, as he swung his tachi like a whip in a circular motion.

Kenji blocked and dodged as best he could, and there were times when the opponent's blade would scratch him like cat as Huang almost danced in deadly multiple attacks of San Cai Jian. Once, Kenji hit Huang's tachi away, but because the Chinese man's hold was on the tassel, and even though his sword was swung away, and he was wide open for attack, he swung his tachi back like a deadly weapon swinging randomly without a master to wield it.

Kenji jumped out of the sword's path, re-sheathed his sakabatou, quickly stood in battoujitsu form, and unsheathed his sword just as Huang charge. Huang jumped out of the sword's path, quickly held his tachi by the handle just as Kenji completed his swing, leaving him vulnerable, and Huang thrust his deadly blade at the wide open young man.

Kenji grabbed Huang's discarded sheathe off the ground faster than anyone could process the fight, and jabbed the sheathe, open side, towards Huang's tachi, and it re-sheathed. Kenji then swung the blunt side of his sakabatou at Huang's side, and there was a resounding crack, and the Chinese man fell to his knees, unable to stand with his ribs broken.

Kenji stood, breathing hard from excursion, his hand still on the Jian's sheathe, Huang still held the handle of his sheathed sword, and the young man requested, "Will you apologize to my sister now?"

Huang stared up at the young man, despite the immense pain in his left side, with an, "Are you serious?!" expression. As an answer, he tightened his hold on the handle of his sheathed tachi, and unsheathed his blade before anyone could react.

Koishi, who saw it first, screamed, "Oni-san!" and Kenji jumped away upon hearing his sister's voice. He used Shinsoku to sheathe his sakabatou, take up the battoujutsu stance, and he unsheathed his sword in a millisecond just as Huang threw his tachi towards the young man. With his sword unsheathed, Kenji stepped out with his left foot and swung his sword out with a rapid pace with a loud, long warrior's cry.

It was as if time stopped...

The sakabatou struck the Jian, and the blade shattered in pieces and the initial, shattered sword went blazing passed Kenji. The shrapnel, however, struck him all over his body, but he still completed his swing. It was as if he caused a sonic boom and every seasoned warrior, even Koishi, had to cover their ears from the high pitch of it.

Huang's eyes widened as he saw a vacuum-like void come towards him, and behind it stood a sapphire-blue eyed, red dragon; his teeth already shattered his useless tachi, and now his claws were poised and ready to shred him to pieces. And he did. All he could do was gasp when he felt as if he was being struck all over his body by razor-sharp talons as he was blown backwards.

When Huang landed on his back, he could not breathe and he could not move as he stared up at the immense blue sky above. He hurt all over, and he knew if the boy had used a regular katana, he would be good as dead several times over.

That was the power of the dragon.

There was a very long pause from everyone observing. It took that long to process such speed and majesty as everyone took in the awe from it all. Kenshin breathed rapidly as if he had been holding his breath the entire fight. Koishi, who had her hands over her mouth from the nail-biting experience, slowly lowered her hands down to her lap as relief overtook her since she had been tense the entire fight.

Kenji, who had been breathing rapidly, slowly straightened up, for the fight was done, and he was the victor. His slowly re-sheathed his sakabatou and it clicked when the hilt came to the entrance and could go no further.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu Ougi," Kenji said as Huang slowly and painfully sat up. "Amakekeryu No Hirameki. I only used it once before, and this is my second time. The first time I used it was against the fourteenth master of Hiten. I was such a brat back then, and this man, who lives deep in the mountains, brought me to my senses. Before he unwillingly taught it to me, he said, we swordsmen are powerful, but we are not gods; we can still die. Wielding the sword takes much thought and appreciation; the thought comes from valuing the lives of those we fight, and have respect for the lives that belong to them. The appreciation comes from the fact that we are alive ourselves, and we must value it.

"Are we to become destructive, like ones who lead destructive lives; or will we become like those who protect others from those destructive people? We Japanese are not completely isolated and ignorant of The Continent, and I know of the Jian. Your Jian is imperfect because it takes a high level of spirituality and morale to wield it, which you do not have either."

That was all Kenji had to say as he walked passed Huang, who fell back to the ground, passed out from the pain, and was then apprehended by Chou. The young man crossed the courtyard to the other observers, and upon his return, Kenshin wrapped relieved arms around his son and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Ottotsuan…" Kenji complained in a whisper, embarrassed that his father would embrace him in front of everyone.

After he released his son, Kenshin asked, "Do you need medical attention now?"

Kenji turned around slightly and looked at his sister. She smiled at her brother, despite the vindictive man beside her, who still held his ominous katana.

"No," Kenji answered. "We still need to focus on Koishi. I can wait until the next fight is over."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow at his son as he looked him over. Kenji had blood trickling down his forehead, various puncture wounds from the Jian's shrapnel, which made him appear to be bleeding all over, and his left palm had a wound that would definitely need stitches, while dried blood encrusted his arm. Otherwise, he could say nothing to deter his son from watching the next sword fight.

Enishi calmly took his watou out of its rucksack and unsheathed it. He tossed the sheathe aside where it landed close to Koishi. Feng glared at his enemy and asked, "You really don't know what this is about, do you, Hu?"

The white-haired man did not give any response, so Feng smirked and asked, "This place looks very familiar, doesn't it?"

Enishi did not answer; his eyes fixed on his now new enemy.

The other man shook his head and replied, "Let me explain then. Twenty eight years ago, there was a nice family who lived here. A man, dealing in rare books, his wife, their young son…and their baby daughter, before they temporarily moved to Shanghai. They happened to find a little Japanese boy, so close to death and they took him in.

"They kindly fed him, clothed him, housed him, and brought him back to full health; but they didn't know they were caring for a rabid dog. That dog soon turned on them, and he killed them all; the man, his wife, young son, and even the infant daughter. The staff within the household was all killed along with the family.

"It was such a bloodbath. What the boy didn't know, however, was the family had another son who was in boarding school in Japan at the time of their murder. That elder son was given the horrible news, and worst of all, the boy was completely untouchable, for he had acquired the family's entire wealth."

Koishi knew what that meant; Enishi did not face any repercussions from his actions because he had an enormous amount of money. Wealth was always above justice.

"So the elder son had no choice but to let the boy have his family's wealth, but he never forgot the injustice. He started to fester an immense hatred of the boy, and when he grew up, he moved to China, learned both dialects, and even changed his name to a Chinese name, just to find that boy who had stolen his family from him.

"He found him, living peacefully and well in Shanghai, without a care in the world. That boy had grown in wealth, at the expense of more people's lives, and again, he never cared. So the eldest son wiggled his way in through the mafia, just to become the boy's right hand man. The eldest son hated him even more, but could never find a weakness within that boy, now a grown man.

"Then the fates gave him a wonderful gift in the form of a young woman." Feng stated and gently patted Koishi's head. "That boy had fought for the young woman, saved her several times, grew close to her; he had grown to love her. Finally, there was the weakness within that boy, and the eldest son will have his revenge."

Koishi inwardly flinched as hurt for her lover filled her heart as she remembered him crying and incredibly regretful for killing the same family his now-enemy was talking about.

Enishi's void expression never changed while Feng told his life story, involving the white-haired man. He simply pushed his sunglasses back up his nose, and brought his watou in front of him.

"You won't believe how much I understand how you're feeling, Feng." He said as he straightened up and unsheathed his watou. "I understand the hatred and thirst for revenge more than you think. There was a man who killed my sister, even if he didn't know she was there when he swung his sword, even if she purposefully placed herself between the enemy and his sword, he killed her nonetheless."

"It was no accident that you killed my family!" Feng yelled as he pointed his sword's blade at his enemy.

"No, it wasn't an accident; it was intentional." Enishi agreed. "And I will not make excuses for what happened. I killed your family, I stole them from you, and I need to answer to you for it. You do not have to involve Koishi."

Feng grabbed a fistful of the young woman's ebony hair and yanked up, forcing her to her feet with a small, short cry of pain. Kenji moved forward to attack the other man, but Kenshin, although just as dangerously angry, placed an arm in front of his son. He shook his head; Feng had the upper hand with Koishi so close to him and no amount of god-like speed could save her.

"No," he disagreed. "She has everything to do with this because I say so! I will take the person most important away from you!"

Enishi raised an eyebrow at the utter déjà vu of the situation. Now, he will know what it is like to try to save a loved one with every fiber of his being. He nodded once and commanded, "Let her go."

Feng let Koishi's hair go and pressed his katana blade close to her throat and ominously stated, "You move, you die." With that said, he pushed her away, caused her to stumble, and she fell.

He gripped his katana with both hands, and posed to attack. The opposing man flipped his watou blade up so the blade was vertical, and he gripped the handle with his one hand.

"You have your anger and your hatred," Enishi said. "I must answer to it."

Koishi got up on her feet as the tension between Enishi and Feng built. Both were poised in their own unique way, ready to fight to the last breath.

Enishi kept his watou in his left hand, blade up. Feng kept both hands on his sword's handle, the blade pointed straight at his opponent.

When Koishi inhaled deeply, she only then realized she had been holding her breath when a small wave of dizziness overcame her. She stayed steady, however, and noticed her lover offer the briefest glance at her. She nodded once to him, and he moved.

He threw his sword up in the air, and Feng moved forward to swing his sword. Enishi moved around the strike, caught his watou in midair, and brought the tachi's blade down. His opponent blocked the attack with his katana and moved away.

"Hm," Feng said. "I see now. You did that on purpose so you could stand between me and the girl."

Enishi did not respond to the observation; instead, he threw his watou to the ground, blade in the ground, jumped, stepped on the pommel while he grabbed the red cord in his hand, and jumped into the air.

The force of the jump brought his blade out of the ground; however, in midair, Feng grabbed his ankle, and threw him to the ground. Enishi lay on his back, with the other man swinging his katana blade to and fro, and he could only block the attacks with the blade of his watou.

Enishi shifted his body to his immediate right, moved his watou so the pommel was up, and hit Feng's wrist with it. The other man temporarily lost grip control in his wrist, and that gave his opponent ample time to turn around and get back to his feet.

Feng stared at the man he once served and finally noted, "I know your sword skills are far greater than mine. Why is it you won't make the final killing blow?"

Enishi raised an eyebrow and answered, "I'm not trying to kill you."

"If you won't kill me, then I'll kill you."

After that statement, Feng charged, his katana sword raised, and he swung down, but Enishi easily blocked it. The vengeful man then turned the sword around so the pummel was towards the white haired man, and he jabbed it forward, striking his opponent on his right eye.

Enishi's glasses broke on the rims and the fell off his face while small pieces of shrapnel were left on his cheeks. The taller man jumped away from his enemy as small streams of blood came out from the cuts. He paid no attention to the stinging pain on his face as he poised once again.

"You will have to kill me." Feng informed. "Otherwise, I'll just kill you…or her." He completed with an indifferent shrug.

When Feng rushed forward to attack, Enishi turned his blade forward, sharp side up and blunt side towards himself. When Feng was within reach, Enishi kicked the blunt side of his tachi and Feng barely had time to block, and when he did, the momentum of his opponent's kick knocked his katana away, and he was nearly impaled by the watou.

Still, the ki from the force of Enishi's kick struck his face, and a thin line of blood flowed out of Feng's face, from his chin to the top of his forehead. Feng smiled as he felt the copper-smelling liquid drip down his face.

"Very good," he complemented. "Attacked like a true tiger. However, what does a tiger fear? I would say fire, wouldn't you? That is what a phoenix deals with; fire, and that is why I renamed myself Feng, because I fight like a phoenix."

"A phoenix is still a bird." Enishi finally said as he held out his tachi in front of him; one hand held the handle while the other hand held the blade.

He rushed this time, and thrust his tachi forward for the Kaishi Tousei technique, which Feng block by bringing his katana upward to protect his body; he then balanced on one foot and swung his sword out and used the other leg he brought up to step forward.

As soon as Feng stepped forward, Enishi crouched and then spun around for a Senran Tousei. Feng blocked the whirlwind-like move, except for the last, and he got nicked in the side from it. When he looked down, he frowned to see more blood than he would like flowing out from his wound. Feng then sidestepped Enishi, their blades scrapping along the way, and Feng was once again between his opponent and Koishi.

"Let's do a one strike." Feng suggested. "And make sure you make it a killing blow, as I will do the same."

Enishi nodded once and this time, he sank low to the ground, sword blade above him, and his feet spread wide apart. As soon as Feng rushed, he brought his katana down just as Enishi brought his tachi up for the Zetsugi technique. Their blades clashed and they both stumbled back from the force of it. Enishi hissed as blood flowed from his chest down to his midsection.

"You finally did the Zetsugi." Feng noted as blood once again spilled out from his chest to his midsection from the simultaneous hit. "However, that technique was made to dodge and attack the dragon. The phoenix has no such techniques; only fire from anger. Let's make this one more time; either you or I, and I will try everything to let it be you."

Koishi's heart pounded in her chest as she saw her lover poise once again and recognized the pose as Enishi's final, strongest technique, the ougi, Zetsugi. The strike alone would tear Feng into two halves, and he would be instantly killed. However, Feng said he would try everything to kill Enishi, even if he had to go down with him.

Either way, Enishi would be killed.

Feng smiled wickedly like a man with a death wish, and that wish was about to be fulfilled. He all but ran as fast as he could towards his opponent, and the white-haired man charged, but kept low to the ground. He swiveled around, grabbed his useless sunglasses, and struck.

He held his fist around the broken spectacles in his hand, and struck the smaller man in a stabbing motion where the neck and shoulders meet. That vital point was very bruised, and Feng's nerves went numb all along his right arm, and his now useless hand dropped his sword.

However, being a persistent person, Feng quickly picked his sword up with his left hand and swung like a crazed, defeated man. Enishi, in the middle of his Zetsugi swing knew that he was going to die, for Feng's left hand would easily score a fatal wound into him, and Enishi's right hand would not be able to stop his Zetsugi swing in time to block it. Enishi gasped when, in mid-swing, his mind barely registered what happened next.

_Cherry…blossoms…_

It was as if Feng lost his footing and he fell left to his left, only to have his neck make contact with Enishi's tachi. He did not have time to stop the momentum of his swing as his Zetsugi decapitated his opponent, and he barely registered the young woman behind his fallen opponent with his watou sheathe in her hands, held up in front of her as if to protect her from the tiger's claws.

Only after Enishi completed his Zetsugi swing, did he realize that Koishi was really there, and that she had hit Feng on his left leg with Enishi's watou sheathe, which caused Feng to fall and get killed, rather than both of them killing each other simultaneously.

Enishi was still poised in his completed Zetsugi form, shocked, and staring wide-eyed at the young woman in front of him, as she also stared, wide-eyed, up at him. It was only a split second after Enishi completed his attack that it happened in an instant, but it felt as if it lasted longer.

There was a resounding crack, and the sheathe in Koishi's hands split into two; the sheathe that was not in her hands fell to the ground with a loud, wooden clank. In shock, she also dropped the other half just as she coughed and blood spit out of her mouth. A split second after that, she brought her hand up to her chest just as an angry flow of red blood began to seep through her purple kimono, turning the clothing into a deep maroon color.

"SHIT!" Enishi cursed as he instantly dropped his watou sword and caught the young woman into his arms as she fell over. "Koishi!"

The young woman breathed rapidly as if she was trying to catch her breath as she clutched her wounded chest with her hand and cried out once in pain. Her father and brother watched with pale faces and shocked expressions as if they were frozen in time. She coughed again before she brought her bloodied hand up to Enishi and clutched his silver changshan where his chest was before she went limp in his arms.

"KOISHI!"

_To Be Continued…_

**AN:** Surely most of you predicted this would happen, right? Right? If not, I'm sorry to leave everyone on a cliffhanger like that, but I will post the next, and I think, last chapter as soon as my busy life will allow me to.


	27. Chapter 27

**AN:** Just so I don't cause confusion, the beginning of this chapter, the part in italics, is a small flashback from when Enishi and Koishi spent time together during winter in Shanghai.

**Twisted Fate**

_Chapter 27_

_"It sure is coming down hard." Koishi stated as she stared out of the large bedroom window. The rain came down in sheets and had been all day. "It's cold, too."_

_"It's cold?" Enishi said as he lay on the bed behind her. "It wouldn't be so cold to you if you wouldn't walk around the mansion naked."_

_Koishi turned her head from the window and raised an eyebrow at her lover as she retorted, "You also walk around here naked."_

_"That's because I'm comfortable doing that around you now."_

_She turned around to face him and asked, "Then, does my nudity displease you?"_

_Enishi roamed his topaz-blue eyes over her naked body and he licked his lips. With a rougish smirk, he answered, "Not in the least."_

_Koishi could not help but smile as she made her way over to the bed where her love lay, and she promptly got up on it and kissed him full on the lips. He responded and suckled her bottom lip while he manuvered her to stradle him. She sat back up and stared down at him with a soft smile and soften, twinkling eyes as if there were star continents in those duo colored orbs._

_"I love you, Yukishiro Enishi." She confessed._

_Enishi blinked up at her, and when he remained silent towards her confession, she did not grow angry, or become indignant. He sighed and finally said, "You're still young, and you have plenty of time to discover what love really is."_

_Koishi simply shook her head and countered, "No, I know what I'm feeling, and I know what it is; I do love you, Enishi, and one day, you'll believe it."_

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"KOISHI!" Enishi screamed as if trying to call her back to conciousness. When she remained limp in his arms, he murmured, "No, no, no, no, no...Don't do this, Koishi; don't hurt me...please." He never once pleaded with anyone, but he pleaded for her.

And then he remembered...

Enishi disgarded his sword and picked up Koishi in his arms, still limp, but her head rested against his chest as he turned to the two Himura men and demanded, "Where's that woman-doctor friend of yours?!"

The two men, Kenji and Kenshin stared in horror at the amount of blood their loved one was losing, but it was Kenji who blinked himself out of his shocked stupor and, with a panicked voice, said, "Follow me!"

Without a backward glance, both Kenji and Enishi ran as fast as humanly possible through town. Along the way, they more than likely knocked over some people, but Enishi did not care; he only cared about saving the woman in his arms as he mentally pleaded for her survival.

When they finally came to Oguni clinic, they did not bother knocking, and Kenji broke the shouji door at the entrance during his panic.

"What do you think-?" a woman doctor started to say, but then her eyes widened with horror upon seeing a very pale-white Koishi. She did not asked questions; she simply motioned for Enishi to follow her to a treatment room as she quickly tied her long ebony hair back with a white doctor's cloth, and vigorously washed her hands several times in the water basins.

Enishi quickly laid Koishi on the examination bed as the doctor prepared her clean instruments as fast as possible. The room was a single bed examination room, but it would have to do since it was not the time to be picky.

"Take off all her clothes!" Megumi commanded as she prepared a cleaning cloth, not caring that it was indignant for him to see the young woman naked since they were not married.

Enishi quickly got his hands around Koishi and untied her obi, and then got her kimono off. He discarded both pieces of clothing across the room, so as not to stumble the doctor, and his eyes widened with horror upon seeing the gastly wound he inflicted upon her, which went from her upper abdomen up to her right shoulder in a diagonal angle.

He moved backward just as the doctor stepped in to clean up the wound on Koishi's body. He kept moving backward until his back hit the furthest wall where he promptly slid down to sit against it. He looked down and saw Koishi's blood all over his silver changshan shirt, and all over his hands.

He shook his head in denial, but another part of him knew the possibility of her dying was great. He looked up and saw the woman doctor working vigiorously over the young woman, who more than likely knew the young woman was doomed, but she still worked, as if she was not going to give up without a fight.

Enishi knew it was useless to work so hard to save her, but still, he could not help but plea, "Don't die, Koishi...please." Plea, beg, bargin, he did not care that he did them all; he would not give up Koishi that easily. He placed his hand on his forehead in the universal sign of stress, and he did not care that her blood was now on his face.

He then saw another person enter the room, and although he only saw their feet, Enishi knew who it was and he lowered his bloodied hand off his face. The man turned his feet towards the white-haired man, and stood there for a long time while the woman doctor worked her hardest.

Enishi raised his head until it softly hit the wall behind him, and he looked up at the man he once hated, and said in a pleading voice, "I didn't...know she was there...behind Feng."

Kenshin stared down at his former brother-in-law, and nodded once. There was a look in eyes, and Enishi wondered how he looked, since the former swordsman looked no better with his extremely pale face and horrified expression.

"Kenji and I..." he started, his voice thick as if it was hard for him to talk. "Were so focused on the fight that we didn't notice her, either."

It was strange, but the old patriot walked over to the same wall Enishi sat against, as if he was in a daze, and he promptly sat down next to him with his back supported by the wall as well. He did not sit close to him, but not far, either. Enishi did not even bring himself to protest or remove himself.

"Where is the boy?" Enishi asked, his voice surprisingly calm.

"He went to retrieve Kaoru," Kenshin answered. "Just in case..." He closed his eyes tightly and bit his lower lip before he continued, "I think it's Kaoru's right to see Koishi before..." He sighed hard and uttered an uncharacteristic, "Damn it!"

Enishi could not say anything, and he knew, no matter how much apologizing he did, it would be hard for the Himura family to forgive him if Koishi died today. Maybe his brother-in-law would be more understanding, given the similarities between him and Tomoe, but Enishi was not sure if Kaoru would be so understandable. The woman sure could hold a grudge.

When he heard sniffling, Enishi turned his head and was surprised, but not really surprised, to see the redhead crying with a hand on his forehead.

"Just a week and few days ago," Kenshin said through tears. "Koishi asked Sessha why he didn't have any good names in mind, to name her when she was born. Sessha insisted 'Koishi' was a good name, but the truth is, when she was born, he didn't have any girl names in mind. A few days after she was born, Sessha took Kenji to the river, to take him off of Kaoru's hands so she could get some rest. He started skipping pebbles and giggled at the ripples it made in the water. Then, Sessha thought, if he named her 'Koishi' maybe she would be like a pebble striking the water, and she would be able to decide her own fate...and she did."

Enishi did not know how to respond to that, so he remained silent. There were no words that could be spoken between the two men as the doctor sewed Koishi's skin together to close up her wound. The white-haired man closed his eyes, but her image was not there, which meant she was still alive; somehow.

"Alright," the doctor finally said as she heaved an exhaused sigh. "I did all I could for her." She went over to the water basin and proceeded to wash her bloodied hands. "I will constantly check up on her, but I don't recommend she go home today. She can't be moved around too much, so she will have to stay over night."

"Arigatou, Megumi-dono." Kenshin voiced his gratitude as he rose to his feet.

The doctor, Megumi, flashed him a pitiful glance before she straightened up into a more professional mode, and said, "You're welcome, Ken-san. I just...I mean, in my opinion, Koishi-chan should remain here, not only over night, but for a while...until she wakes up."

After that, Megumi merely glanced a detestable glare towards Enishi before she left the room. Kenshin walked over to Koishi and stared down at her while Enishi rose to his feet to see if she was in bad a shape as everyone seemed to think. When he saw her, he difinately thought she was close to death. He could only see her face, since the doctor covered her up with a thin sheet, but he could see the bandages where her wound was.

"We didn't plan for Koishi," Kenshin simply said, still staring down at his daughter. "She was unexpected, but we were still happy to have her." He paused before he continued, "Enishi, don't think that she's the only one important to you, because we, her family, love her, too."

"...I never thought that." Enishi countered, feeling some indignity that he would be so selfish as to take Koishi away from her family.

"...Enishi," Kenshin started. "What really happened in China?"

"I didn't manipulate her." Enishi responded.

"Sessha figured that." The redhead deduced. "Which is why he's asking you, again, for the truth."

"Alright..." Enishi agreed and then proceeded to tell Kenshin what happened in China, from his point of view; from the beginning all the way to the present, skipping intimate moments, but he somehow knew his former brother-in-law sensed it being skipped over, and he was thankful the redhead never asked.

After it was over, Kenshin merely nodded and said, "Thank you for caring for Koishi, and protecting her, while you two were in China."

Right after the former assassin voiced his gratitude, the mini redhead, Kenji, came into the room, and said, "Ottotsuan, Saitou said he knows now is not a good time to talk, but he needs to talk to you...and Ani-san." He flicked his sapphire-blue eyes over to Enishi before he continued, "Also, Okkasan knows the story, and even though I tried to tell her it wasn't Ani-san's fault, she wants to see Koishi, but she doesn't want to see his face."

Kenshin nodded once and agreed, "Sessha will talk to Saitou. You should also talk to him, Enishi; maybe what he has to say would involve you, too."

When the family patriarch left, Kenji finally looked down at his sister, and after a moment said, "She's such an annoying little sister, but she's my annoying little sister." His voice hitched after that, and he looked away, as if ashamed at his crying.

"It's alright," Enishi reassured. "I won't tell anyone." He then leaned down towards Koishi and whispered, "Please, stay here with me." After that, he stood up and left the room.

When he walked down the hall, Kaoru quickly rushed passed him without a single glance his way, no doubt headed to Koishi's room. In the waiting room, Enishi saw Saitou and Chou talking to the redhead, and when the amber-eyed villian-cop glanced his way, he motioned for the white-haired man to join them.

Saitou puffed on his cigarette before he informed, "Inspector Hiroshi is no longer an inspector; obviously. And, unfortunately, because of his corruptness, all the cases he was involved in are now void, so the government had no choice but to let all the prisoners under him to be released, guilty or not."

"Well," Kenshin started. "They should think of it as a second chance and take up the opportunity to change their lives." He merely flicked his violet eyes towards his former brother-in-law after his statement and it irked the white-haired man.

"Yes," Saitou agreed. "But some people never learn." He also flicked his amber eyes towards the same target, and it irked Enishi even more.

The white-haired man directed his question at Chou, "Do they always talk about people when they're right in front of them?"

"Yup," Chou answered with a smirk. "You'll get used to it."

Wait...there was something hinting in the broom-man's voice.

"Why would I get used to it?" Enishi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well," Saitou answered. "The judge overseeing your case is a fair man, and he used to be the chief of Tokyo Police. Anyway, he is willing to give you 'time already served,' being that you saved the daughter of Battousai, if you're willing to work with us for a while."

"...What?" was all Enishi could bring himself to say with a criticizing stare.

"That's what I said." Saitou complained as he snuffed out his cigarette. "Judge Uramura, the man overseeing your case, thinks you would be a great commodity to catching corrupt individuals in the government, being that you worked with such individuals in the past, so he would like for you to work with him on future cases, with pay, of course."

"And everything is just forgotten?" Enishi inquired.

"Pretty much." Saitou shrugged. "Think of it this way; it'll be your first honest job."

"And if I refuse...?" The investigator merely shugged his shoulders without a care and Enishi said, "Tell Uramura that I will meet with him tomorrow at the Yukishiro property."

Saitou nodded once before he turned to the redhead and reminded, "There's one more matter to attend to; your daughter." Kenshin nodded his head once and Saitou continued, "No thanks to that investigator, Hiroshi, all the mafia in China now know her name and her exact location. It might be a problem, but then it might not be." He turned to the man of interest and asked, "Would they be a problem for Himura Koishi?"

Enishi to a moment to ponder that question, and answered, "Even though it seems unlikely they would bother with her, there's always that chance they might see her as someone of interest."

Saitou turned back to Kenshin and suggested, "We could always place her elsewhere for a while until things settle down. I think the safest place for her would be with those friends of yours in Kyoto; or better yet, with that man in the mountains."

Kenshin's breath hitched at the mere thought of sending his daughter to live with his former master. No doubt, she would be absolutely miserable within a day or so, and he answered, "Sessha doesn't think sending her to live with Shisho is a good idea. Sessha is more willing to opt her to live with Aoshi and Misao-dono, that he does."

"Or you could wait until she's fully healed and ask her what she wants."

Kenshin turned to Enishi, who had the adasity to informally criticize his parenting skills while he was trying to protect his daughter. As they stared each other down, neither one bowing out, Chou sensed the rising tention growing in the room and muttered a lame excuse to leave. Saitou, however, rolled his eyes as he knew there was going to be a form of contempt between the two men regarding the girl, both men wanting what was best for her, and both wanting to remain in her life.

"She's a grown woman." Enishi reminded, unabashed. "She's perfectly capable of making her own decisions."

"Koishi is still under our care," Kenshin fired back. "Regardless of legal age, she still lives with her family, and until that changes, we will continue to do what's best for her."

"What's best for her," Enishi argued. "Is exactly what causes her ignorance. You seem to think you can place a protective barrier around her, but she is not someone you can contain; and her ignorance of the world is what almost got her killed, several times in fact."

"That may be," said a voice behind the trio, and everone turned to see it was Kaoru who spoke. "But you, Yukishiro Enishi, have no rights to Koishi, and therefore, your intentions regarding her are void, even if they are good intentions."

Enishi stared at the sapphire-blue eyed woman for a moment before he relented, "Fine; it is void...for now."

Kaoru only glared up at him before she invited herself into the conversation with Saitou and Kenshin. Enishi only heard mumbling with the anger regarding them pounding in his ears, and he left once again towards Koishi's room.

Inside, he saw Kenji sitting in a doctor's chair beside his sister's bed, and even though Enishi was silent coming in, the young man had warrior instincts, and he knew the older man was there, so he said, "You sure know how to live dangerously."

Enishi raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Contradicting my mother," Kenji explained after he turned his head towards the older man. "That's a dangerous move. Of course, when I was younger, I constantly walked on the wild side. When my mother cooked, I was the only one with the guts to tell her the food was horrible and she should just give up cooking; now that is living dangerously."

Enishi only shrugged his shoulders before he asked, while staring at Koishi, "How is she?"

Kenji looked back at his sister and answered, "She hasn't woken up, but I don't think we should expect her to for a few days."

"I wasn't expecting her to wake up right now, either." The white-haired man agreed. "You should have your wounds treated."

"Same to you."

"I don't think the doctor would be very willing." Enishi countered before he sarcastically stated, "I have the distinct feeling that I'm not welcomed here."

Kenji huffed with a roll of his eyes before he said, "Megumi-san is always like that. I think I'll just go ask her. You can stay here with Koishi because I know you want to."

As soon as the young man left, Enishi immediately went to the doctor's chair beside Koishi's bed. He sat down while he rested his hand on her hand and laid his head down on the bed beside her. Unfortunately, her hand felt a bit cold, not warm like it always was. He inwardly shook his head regarding her situation before he closed his eyes and whispered, "Please...stay here with me."

He stayed that way for a while as he drifted in and out of sleep. What woke him up for the third time that night was the woman-doctor, who slammed her doctor tools down on the table beside the bed. Enishi jumped up, immediately on the defense, protective towards Koishi as he looked around the room.

Megumi stared down at him with an aloof expression before she explained, "It's late, and I must go home to get some sleep, but before I do, it was Kenji who requested that I treat your wounds."

That's right; he still had his wounds to tend to. He was so focused on Koishi that he completely forgot about them. Usually he would just treat himself. Enishi nodded once and pointed to his right face where the glass shrapnel was in his skin. The doctor rummaged through her tools until she brought out something that looked like very thin chopsticks; surgical tweezers.

She then held his chin with one hand and force him to look up at her. Enishi merely looked towards Koishi as Megumi used the thin chopsticks to get the glass out of his cheek, none too gently. After she was done, she cleaned up the puncture wounds and taped gauze over them.

"Anything else?" The doctor asked with a tone as if this was the most detestable thing she had to do.

As an answer, Enishi held out his hand, which held his broken spectacles during the fight, and Megumi worked to get the shrapnel out of his hand. When she was done, she cleaned it and wrapped it up. Before the doctor could ask her previous question again, Enishi took off his changshan shirt and discarded it on the floor. The woman pursed her lips in an unprofessional disgust for having to treat a once-enemy, but she proceeded once again to treat, clean, and wrap the wound where he got cut from Feng's sword.

"Done." Megumi stated as she cleaned up. "Is there anything else that needs to be treated?"

Enishi silently answered by shaking his head in a negative answer. The doctor seemed relieved to hear that, and then said, "Will you being staying here with Koishi-chan then?" He answered her by nodding and she huffed, "Not much for words, are you?"

"What can I say," Enishi countered. "When I am greeted with hostility?"

"Our hostility is well placed." Megumi argued.

"See?" Enishi said to prove his point.

The doctor merely turned her nose up at the white-haired man as she made her exit to go home. Enishi stared down at Koishi as the night wore on until his eyes started to flutter close and he drifted to sleep.

O~O~O~O~O

Enishi awoke with a start and he sat straight up upon hearing a woman yelling in Mandarin. He frowned, for he knew that voice sounded familiar, even with the other commotion going on with a few men's voices saying they don't understand what she was yelling about.

The white-haired man rubbed his eyes and gave Koishi another once over before curiosity got the best of him, and he stood up and walked out of the room, down the hall, until he came to the waiting room. He blinked in surprise upon seeing Bao in the middle of the room, yelling at the amber-eyed posy, who was accompanied by two useless police officers.

Her condition surprised him. Usually Bao was clean and well-kept, but now her expensive kimono was muddy with dirt particles in various places, and her ebony hair was in a disarray. Her beautiful face was always clean, but now, while still beautiful, there was dirt spots on her face. In the middle of her screaming at Saitou, Bao paused, clenched her stomach, and suddenly vomited all over the investigator's shiny black shoes.

Enishi had to bite his lip to keep himself from having fit of laughter as the former Shinsengumi uncharacteristically cussed. The white-haired man finally said, "Bao?" and everyone turned their attention to him.

"Would you talk to this crazy woman?!" Saitou seethed. "I can't understand a damn word she says!"

"What's she here for?" Enishi inquired.

"She was found wandering the streets." Saitou answered. "She kept getting sick, so we brought her here, but she argued with us the whole time."

"Hu," Bao said in Mandarian. "Where is Huang? He gives me my medicine so I don't get sick. I need that medicine."

Enishi pursed his lips before he translated, "She says she needs Huang to give her opium, which she calls medicine."

Saitou frowned and explained, "We don't give opium. Besides, Huang is currently in Tokyo jail. She'll have to come off it herself."

Megumi, who just entered the room, took pity on the other woman and suggested, "She could stay here. After all, she needs to get the craving for opium out of herself."

"We usually keep them in jail for that." The investigator stated. "They usually need to be put in jail anyway because they go crazy when getting rid of the craving."

"I'm a doctor." Megumi argued. "A person getting off of opium is not an easy task and she's in for a terrible time. I could watch over her to make sure she doesn't die in the process, as many others have done."

"Fine." Saitou agreed, not wanting to argue when he had a mess all over his shoes that he needed to clean up.

Bao looked to Enishi for help with what everyone said, and he translated, "You'll stay here for a while."

Her eyes grew wide with fear and she said desperately, "But I need my medicine!"

"There will be no more medicine for you." Enishi said.

"NO!" Bao screamed, now throwing a fit. "I need it! I need it! I need it!"

The two useless policemen finally made themselves useful and all but carried Bao to another treatment room where they proceeded to put iron cuffs on her while she begged for "medicine," in Mandarin, of course.

Enishi mentally shook his head; poor Bao was in for a few hellish days, maybe even longer, to get the craving for opium out of her. He went back to Koishi's room, only see it was occupied with the redhead father. He stood over his daughter and stared with sad violet eyes as if he did not beileve she would live.

"I don't know," Kenshin said without looking at the intruder. "How I'm going to handle her death, if comes to that."

There was something inside Enishi, some emotion that rose up at the thought of his lover's death, and he stealed himself against it while he stated, "Koishi is strong. I believe she'll live."

"Strong, yes, but still human."

Enishi frowned and again stated, "She's your daughter, and subborn just like you. She won't bow out that easily."

That actually made Kenshin chuckle a tad before he corrected, "No, she has her mother's stubborness and temper; and her kind heart."

"Yes," he agreed. "Koishi has a good heart." Then he straightened up and asked, "I have somewhere to go; will you be staying here with her today?"

"Just for a while." the redhead answered. "Then Kaoru will come later, and probably Kenji, too." Enishi nodded once and was about to leave when Kenshin said, "Enishi...Koishi, like Kenji, brings us happiness; please don't take her away from us again."

Enishi could only display confusion on his face as he answered, "I wasn't planning on taking her away from you, or her family."

The relieved look on Kenshin's face was not missed, but he nodded his gratitude towards his former brother-in-law before the man made his exit.

Enishi walked through town, down to a neighborhood that was not too far from the market until he finally came to the place that was his destination; his childhood home. Although it suffered twenty or so years of complete abandonment, there was still some sentimentality to the old structure.

The front gate's wood was dried and split, the foliage on the property had grown wild, and the house itself, once sturdy, had one half collapsed while the other side leaned as if about to break. The house stood on a decent size amount of land, but not as much land as the Kamiya dojo.

"Are you sure you don't want to rethink this?"

Enishi looked over to see the judge, Uramura, once the police chief of Tokyo, standing in front of the property with the owner.

"It didn't look like this when I left." He countered.

Uramura smiled kindly, his eyes forever closed behind those glasses, and said, "That is what happens with time; time has a way of making us frail and old. Time certainly is our greatest punisher."

"Right," Enishi said to brush off the wisdom given. "How much is owned for land taxes?"

"Uh, quite a bit actually." Uramura said, nervously. "Although, I think I can cut it by half."

"Fair enough." Enishi agreed. "Do you think I should have the house repaired or just tear it down?"

"I'd say tear it down and start from scratch."

"Then let's start." Enishi agreed. "Just two requests; I'll start working with you after Koishi is fully healed, and when she is, I need you with us when we face her family."

Uramura frowned slightly before he asked, "What're you planning, if you need me there?"

"Nothing illegal." The white-haired man reassured.

O~O~O~O~O~O

Nearly a week had passed, and still no change in Koishi's condition, but Enishi remained with her every day. Even though Megumi also checked up on her, it seemed that even the doctor was ready to advise everyone to let the girl pass if she did not wake up. It was better than letting the girl slowly starve to death.

Enishi looked at the doorway when he saw a figure there from his peripheral vision, and he saw Bao, who was almost over her want for opium. She still looked sickly, and she had lost a noticable amount of weight since she could not keep anything in her stomach and she constantly vomited throughout the week.

"I'm sure she'll pull through." Bao said. "She has more spunk than the mafia men gave her credit for."

"Aa." Enishi agreed.

"It's going to be hell relearning Japanese again." Bao simply said, changing subjects.

"It's not that hard once you remember it again." he replied, speaking from personal experience.

"Just curious; how do you say 'opium' in Japanese?"

Enishi gave Bao a sharp look before he hissed, "Don't fall back into that habit again, Bao!"

"First, I was just curious." Bao defended. "Second, my real name is Shiyan."

He only raised an eyebrow and said, "If you're only curious, opium is 'ahen' in Japanese."

"A...hen." Bao, or Shiyan, repeated with a thick Mandarin accent. She nodded once and as she left, she murmured the Japanese numbers to herself, "Ichi, ni, yan, ban, go..."

Enishi stared at the empty doorway until he finally shook his head. Maybe getting off opium had messed up Bao's mind more than being on it had. She was, after all, on the drug for so long that maybe she would go crazy without it.

"Eh...shi..."

Enishi's eyes widened and he quickly looked down at Koishi, whose eyes fluttered open, but still remained half-lidded. He inhaled in a rush when he saw her unique eyes, the ones he thought he might never see again, and he could not help but gather her in his arms.

"Itai..." She complained in a mere whisper. (Itai = ouch)

"Oh." was all he could say as he laid her back down on her recovery bed. "Koishi..."

He did not have to ask and she nodded once and reasurred, "I'll stay...here with you." After her words, she closed her eyes to rest again.

It took another week before Koishi was able to sit up, after Megumi helped her into a yukata, and even then, the doctor allowed her only to eat plain miso soup. The young woman could not help but flush indignantly when Enishi held the bowl for her as she sipped the warm liquid from the edge. At first, she only drank a few gulps and she gradually drank more.

"I really want some sukiyaki." Koishi murmured after a few days of nothing but miso soup.

"Well," Megumi said as she checked the young woman over. "You've been off of solid foods for a while, so you need to slowly get back to eating, starting with liquids only."

Koishi gave a long-suffering look at Enishi, and he, in turn, shrugged his shoulders. He was not going to give her whatever she wanted this time.

Megumi nodded once and said, "You seem to be healing okay. I recommend moving your legs to get the strength back into them since you haven't been moving them for two weeks now."

When the doctor left, Koishi tried to move her legs and winced when pain shot up through her muscles. It was like her legs had that funny feeling when they were "asleep," only ten times as worse.

"What's wrong?" Enishi asked from his place in the doctor's chair.

"It hurts to move my legs like Megumi-sensei wanted me to."

In response, he got up from his chair, walked the few paces it took to get to her, and sat down on the foot of her bed where her legs were. He picked up her left leg and let it rest across his lap as he massaged her muscles as gently as he could. She grimced and held her lower lip between her teeth, but did not utter a sound. It was definately worse than the numb, funny feeling she got at times, but she bared it as he worked over her leg.

"I want to walk." Koishi commented.

"You have to move your legs first." Enishi countered.

"Oh," she teased with a smile. "Look who's being so kind and caring."

He flicked his blue-topaz eyes her way before he looked back down at her legs. While they were still toned, they were not as toned as they once were, with her being bedridden for nearly two weeks, but they were still soft and creamy. Definately still soft, Enishi could not help but think to himself as he roamed his hands over her appendage with a more sensual touch than a massaging one.

Koishi squirmed a little as her body recognized the loving, caressing touches as he moved his hands to her upper thigh, and she squeaked out, "Um...Enishi-"

"Enishi-" Kenshin proclaimed when he suddenly entered the recovery room, and he stopped dead in his tracks. Even though the white-haired man had gone back to massaging the young woman's leg below her knee, the scene just looked wrong with her yukata hiked up her legs, too exposed for comfort, with Enishi roaming his hands on her limb. Koishi knew it looked wrong, and whatever blood she had left in her body went straight to her face and she averted her eyes in guilt when her father looked her way.

"We need you in the waiting room to translate." Kenshin clipped. "The woman Huang brought with him is in some trouble."

Enishi looked up at his former brother-in-law, and then moved Koishi's leg, giving her a wink before he got up and left. Koishi quickly brushed her yukata down to cover her legs and she waited for her father to scold her, but he just stared for a brief moment before he turned and also made his exit.

In the waiting room, there was some commotion, as Saitou stood beside Bao, who mumbled in Mandarin. Enishi noted that the woman had iron cuffs on her wrists, but he suspected that she had a very satisfied look about her.

"What happened now?" he asked. "Did she got back to opium again?"

Saitou's eye twitched and he answered, "No, but opium does have a lot to do with it. Apparently, she knew enough Japanese to buy a large amount of opium, make a lunch and drink, mixed all the opium she bought with it, and served it to Huang."

"...What?" Enishi could only stupidly say.

"In other words, Huang is now dead from apparent overdose of opium." The investigator explained. "We need to ask her the basic questions; what, why, all that."

"...Okay," Enishi agreed before he switched to Mandarian and asked the woman, "What happened, Bao?"

"I killed Huang with opium." She simply answered. "Since he also used the stuff, he wasn't able to taste it when I gave it him."

"Why would you do that?" he pressed.

"He ruined my life, Hu." Bao answered with tears filling her eyes and spilling down her cheeks. "He took me from my home country, he used me countless times, and now I have nothing left. I have no way to take care of myself, and I am basically a stranger amongst my own people. I don't care what punishment I receive; at least I got my vengence!"

Enishi was inwardly surprised that Bao could do something like this when she was basically on a leash for twenty or so years, with Huang being the master. Maybe she finally got her mind back, and had come to the reality of what happened to her, with the opium no longer affecting her mind. So, he translated exactly what she said, word for word, and Saitou nodded once.

"She still needs some time before she can be judged." he explained. "For now, she has to remain in jail."

When Enishi translated, Bao merely turned her head up without any shame to what she had done, and she was taken away. The white-haired man could not help but feel a surge of pity for the woman who did not have anyone kind enough to save her when she was younger.

Another week passed after Bao's arrest, and Koishi was up and walking around, slowly but with determination. Enishi went to check on the building project on his family property and he was impressed by the amount of work completed, but he did not show it. The foliage was now tame and the new house was starting to look like a house. The bathhouse behind the main house was starting to get the wooden frames up.

Once again, he went back to Ogunic Clinic to check up on Koishi, and when he entered her room, he briefly saw her with her yukata open, and she was looking down at her body with a horrified look on her face. When Enishi closed the door behind him to prevent Koishi from being exposed, she jumped out of her trance and closed the folds over her yukata over herself.

"What?" he asked. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

"...It's different now." she confessed.

"How?"

She hesitated, but reopened the folds of her sleeping robe and she closed her eyes tightly, thinking of his rejection. Enishi noticed she got the stitches out, more than likely today, and left a red, angry mark from her abdomen to her right shoulder; it would more than likely leave a scar. He then noticed her body was back to its healthy weight, and her legs were starting to get toned and athletic again. Her hips flared out as they usually do, and her breasts were still the same; soft, but firm and bouncy. Oh, how he wanted her again!

"W-Well?" Koishi asked after she opened her eyes and she looked like she would almost cry.

"You still look the same." Enishi answered.

"That's not what I meant-"

"I know." He reassured. "And I saw it, but then I could see passed it, and then I saw...you."

Koishi blinked and smiled, despite the tears flowing down her face, and she declared, "I love you, Yukishiro Enishi." And then asked, "Do you believe it now?"

"Aa," He answered. "Although, I'm sure there's somethings we need to clear up between us."

"As in, why you left me behind in Yokohama?" She started.

"Aa," Enishi answered again. "I knew it was unsafe for you, because I was already suspecting Feng of being a traitor."

"What made you suspect?"

"When I told him I was leaving for Japan, and I asked him to look after you, which I wasn't going to do anyway. He agreed, and it was because he agreed that I became suspicious."

"Why would agreeing make him suspicious?" Koishi asked after she closed her yukata and sat back down on the recovery bed.

"You attracted too much trouble, and Feng was not one to stay where the trouble was. It made me suspicous of his intent."

"And you left me in Yokohama, because...?" She prompted.

"I had to rid you of the trouble that would've followed you here." Enishi explained. "I got rid of Ju-Long, but because of that Hiroshi investigator, my hiding you in Japan backfired."

"You killed Ju-Long?" Koishi asked with a surprising look of relief.

"Yes; and I was going to kill Huang also, but Bao beat me to it."

The young woman jumped in surprise and declaired, "When did Bao do that?" Enishi explained what happened, and once again, she grew relieved. "And then after your plan, what would've happened?"

"I would've returned to you, hoping you would've accepted me back."

"And I would have." Koishi said. "But you couldn't tell me of your plan, because...?"

"You would've stopped me." Enishi answered, and the young woman knew it was true; she would have stopped him. "I didn't want you to see that other person I become, at times, so I left you behind so I could fullfill my task and then return to you."

"If only it would've happened that way..." Koishi mumbled and then asked, "So, why did you tell Ottotsuan such a...story?"

"Hiroshi exposed your full name and location to the whole mafias of China. I thought he would've been the strongest one to protect you, with me being in jail and unable to do that."

She winced and informed, "Ottotsuan can't-"

"I know." Enishi confirmed. "Your mother told me."

"Enishi..." Koishi hesitated, but trodded forward with determination. "I was informed of how you were, before. Does it matter to you, now, that you know I'm directly related to the man you hated almost all your life?"

He shook his head and explained, "Truthfull, if I would've figured it out in the beginning, I would've sent you back to Japan faster than you can pull your thoughts together; but now, we already had a full relationship, and just because I have that knowledge now, doesn't change the fact that you were still related to him while I diddled you. So, no; it's a trivial matter."

Once again, Koishi looked relieved, and her lover then asked her, "And you? Can you live with knowing I was once his brother-in-law?"

She gave him a critical look, to which he could not help but chortle at; it was a look that was purely her. She then said, "I do have one question; will you ever wear Japanese clothes?" She looked over his costom-made blue changshan which replaced his ruined silver one.

"No," Enishi answered with a smirk. "I will live in Japan for you, work under a government judge for you, and speak the language for you, but I will never wear the uncomfortable clothes."

Koishi could not help but laugh, exposing her briliant smile which Enishi almost snuffed out of existence, accidentally. He inwardly laughed as he took only the few steps it took to get to the recovery bed and he sat down closely next to her.

"I do have one more...thing to say." Enishi started, and the young woman looked her lover over in disbelief that she would sense him getting nervous. Yukishiro Enishi never gets nervous! Socially awkward, yes, but never nervous. Her heart pounded as she thought of what he could possibly say that would bring him to such a state. Maybe he was thinking of a way to tell her they could no longer be together...

"Marry me, Koishi."

Upon hearing those words, Koishi inhaled so rapidly, some of her saliva went into her lungs causing her to choke.

"W-What?" she coughed.

"Marry me." He repeated.

Koishi blinked several times before she sputtered, "Y-You didn't want to marry...What changed suddenly?"

"Well, I figured there's groups of Chinese mafia who know your full name and location, so what better way to deter them from making you a target than for you to legally change your name?"

"...Oh."

Enishi did not miss Koishi's look of dejection, not to mention the hurt in her eyes, and he knew he picked the wrong words, even though that was just a trival reason for him to marry her.

"Do you not think," he started. "That I would've asked you, even if it wasn't a matter of people coming after you?"

"I don't know." Koishi answered honestly. "It seems more like a marriage of convenience."

"There's nothing convenient about you, my troublesome Usagi-chan." Enishi teased, even though he was speaking truthfully.

"You're impossible, Enishi." She said, even though she smiled. Then she was serious once again as she moved, still sitting, to face her lover. "Truthfully; would you've asked me to marry you even without everything else going on?"

"Aa."

"And what would you do if my father denies your request?" Koishi asked dreadingly.

He inhaled deeply before he answered, "Whether he approves or not, I can't promise you a lavish wedding; more like a civil cerimony in front of a judge. Can you accept that?"

"Hai."

"And if he doesn't approve, then I have someone else to vouch for us."

"Who?" Koishi asked with curiosity.

"Your brother."

"What?!"

"Yea; plus, he's the one who practically made me swear to marry you." Enishi could not help but chuckle.

Since Kenji was an adult, he could give approval for Koishi and Enishi to marry, if the family patriarch did not approve. It would make it more difficult, but Kenji could do it, since he was the next one to look after his unwed sister.

"So-"

"No, Koishi, I didn't ask you to marry me because the boy made me swear to."

"So, you're marrying me because you want to-"

"Not because I have to." Enishi completed.

"Okay then." Koishi agreed with a growing smile on her lips. "I'll marry you."

"But first, fully recover."

"I think I have enough blood in me to make my body functional." She stated with a devious smile as was about to disrobe herself.

"Not in my clinc."

Koishi jumped and felt her face grow hot when she saw Megumi in the doorway, and realized the doctor knew what she was planning to do with Enishi. He merely gave the woman an unconcerned glance without any sign of embarrassment; only annoyance.

In the days that followed, Enishi could not have any alone time with Koishi, for a family member, or a family friend, would be there around the clock, and he suspected the doctor informed the Parental Police of his interrupted intent with Koishi.

Finally, the day came when Megumi gave Koishi the approval to go home. It was Kenji who brought his sister a kimono to wear for their walk home, and he did not know why she asked for the most beautiful one she owned. As she got dressed, Kenji and Enishi stood in the waiting room.

"What's with imotou-chan?" He asked. "She seems pretty nervous."

"I might need your approval to correct a wrong I did against her." Enishi answered. "Today, I will ask your father for permission to marry her. He might not approve, so I need to know if you will stand behind us."

"Of course I will." Kenji replied. "And thank you for marrying her."

"Why're you thanking me?"

"Well, for one, I get rid of that annoying, spoiled, daddy's girl," the younger man said with an evil smile before he grew serious. "And, also, she will be very happy."

"Really?"

"Yup." Kenji smiled, and Enishi noticed his smile was very similar to his sister. "Just make sure you make good-looking sons and daughters."

"WHAT?!" The white-haired man exclaimed with wide, horrified eyes.

"Well, we're all very good-looking in my family." Kenji egotistically explained. "I don't want you to shame my family by giving us new family members that don't add up to the expected standards."

"You're an idiot!" Enishi fired back.

"Yes, he is." Koishi agreed when she finally came to the waiting room, ready to leave. "We're not having children, brother."

"Slip ups can happen." Kenji predicted.

"Can we be on our way?" Enishi asked. "We have to meet Uramura at the dojo before everyone knows what's going on."

Kenji shrugged and the trio was on there way. Koishi was silent as they walked, and as they got closer to the dojo, the knot in her stomach got stronger. No doubt, if her father would not approve of her marrying Enishi, she would be reduced to tears; but she had to be strong, to show her father that this was her decision and she would stick to it.

Yet, it would still hurt.

Her breathing increased when she saw the dojo gates within view and she looped her arm around Enishi's arm like a lifeline. Koishi's anxiety increased when she saw Uramura standing outside the gates, awaiting the trio's arrival. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and tried to steady her nerves.

It all failed when Kenji opened the gates to let everyone onto the property.

Enishi observed the dojo land, which he had not seen in nineteen years, and realized it was all the same as if there was no damage made. Across the way, sitting on the engawa, was none other than the redhead patriarch with his sakabatou resting against him.

Himura Kenshin saw the trio come through the gate with Uramura, and knew something was about to happen, but he still greeted, with a smile, "Uramura-san; it's good to see you."

"Himura-san," Uramura greeted nervously. "It's good to see you, too."

Kenshin's violet eyes flicked over to the trio and he noted Koishi stood very close to Enishi with her arm wrapped around his arm; something was definitely going to happen.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru called as she came out. "Is Kenji and Koishi back...?" She trailed off when she saw everyone present. "What's going on?" She asked.

Koishi tightened her grip on Enishi's arm and stepped forward with him when he took a step forward, and then he said, to the redhead patriarch, "I need your permission to marry Koishi."

It grew silent with the tension in the air thickening, until Kaoru finally broke through the stiffling air and demanded, "Are you pregnant?!"

"No!" Koishi quickly defended, although she had to admit, it would seem to others in the community that she was marrying so quickly because she got knocked up; especially when they will marry in front of a judge and not a Shinto priest. On top of that, it was only a month or less since she had been back, so no doubt, this will cause a slight scandal and cause people to gossip.

It grew silent once again and Kenshin stared at his daughter, both eyes shaped exactly the same, and neither one backing down. Uramura gave an uncomfortable cough before he said, "That's why I'm here; to give them a civil wedding, here, if you approve."

"I don't approve!" Kaoru quickly said, earning a flinch from her daughter. "Kenshin, please tell me you're not going to approve, either!"

Kenshin closed his eyes as if in a meditative state, and when he opened his eyes again, he once again locked eyes with Koishi, who stared at him with pitiful, pleading eyes.

"Koishi." He simply said and motioned for her to sit next him on the engawa.

Koishi hesitated, even though she knew her father would die a thousand times before he ever striked his children, she still feared his disapproval. It was Enishi who disconnected his arm from hers, and used the same hand from that arm to gently push her forward. She once again hesitated before she crossed the small distance it took to get to the engawa, and she then sat down next to her father.

Now amethyst orbs stared into topaz-blue as Kenshin spoke, "Koishi is my daughter; my only daughter. And you think you can do better for her? When she was ill, it was me who gave her miso soup to drink and held her in comfort because she ached due to illness. Each time she fell, it was me who picked her back up and helped her walk. When she got stung by a hornet, it was me who gave her the medicine needed to treat it, and held her when she cried because she was in pain, and I had to once again endure the heartache of being helpless against the searing pain she felt. Could you do better, Enishi?"

"You did exactly what you had to," Enishi said. "Because that's what a good father does, and even before you told me that heartfelt speech, I already knew you were a good father before I knew you were her father, because she didn't know she would, at first, cry 'Ottotsuan' in her sleep the first nights in Shanghai. Only a good, significant father would cause a daughter to cry for her father. Could I do better than you? No; because I'm not a father to her, I'm not a brother to her, and I'm not a friend to her. I am much, much more than that, and the fact that I have killed for her, that I have bled for her, and that I have fought for her is more than enough proof of how I feel for her."

"And thank you for caring for her." Kaoru now said. "But I still don't approve-"

She stopped speaking when Kenshin stood to his feet and motioned that Koishi should do the same, and she did. He turned to face her and spoke as if no one was around, "And you, my little pebble; do you think he could do better than us?'

"No," Koishi choked. "Because my first memories were of you and my family. You picked me up and had me walk on your feet." Her father had to close his eyes again when he heard that, and she knew he was trying to keep his emotions in check so they did not interfere with logic. "You held me first, and you cared for me first; there's no one in the world that can replace that. I'm just adding to my life, not taking anything away from it."

Kenshin opened his eyes again and nodded, then he turned back to Enishi and asked, "Where do you plan to stay?"

"Here, in Edo." Enishi answered.

Koishi could not help but feel relieved to hear that, for that meant she would be able to see her family every day if she wished.

Kenshin only turned back to his daughter and asked, "Does he make you happy?"

She glanced at Enishi with a growing smile before she answered, "Yes, Ottotsuan, he makes me happy."

The family patriarch then gathered her in a tight hug, as if he was afraid she would disappear. "Don't be gone too long." He whispered. "Try to see us every day, okay?"

"Hai." Koishi said in a whisper. "And...thank you, Ottotsuan."

Kenshin lowered his arms, but kept both hands on his daughter's lower arms as if he was gathering courage for the next task at hand. After a while, he turned her away from him, towards Enishi, and gave a gentle nudge.

"You have my permission to marry my daughter, Enishi." He proclaimed. "Just don't keep her away from us for too long."

"We're staying here in Edo." Enishi reminded after Koishi was at his side. "She can see you any time she wants."

They turned to Judge Uramura, who asked, "So everything is in order?" Everyone nodded. "The men in Himura Koishi's family approve?" Once again, everyone nodded, and the judge gave both Enishi and Koishi a simple wedding ceremony, and they were legally married.

Afterward, Koishi gathered a few of her items in a traveling sack, including the few clothes she brought with her from China, and the hair decor her now husband gave her before they were married; the one that once belonged to his sister. Enishi waited by the dojo gates as she gathered her items.

After she came out, her father was the first to give her a tight hug; it was still hard for him to let her go. Koishi then turned to her mother and said, "Okkasan...?"

Kaoru looked saddened, but she inhaled deeply, and gave a smile as she gathered her daughter into her arms to embrace. After she released her daughter, she gave her a light kiss on her forehead, and let her go with tembling hands.

Kenji smiled his goofy grin and hugged his sister while he chuckled, "At least you didn't have to run away to get married."

After he released his sister, Koishi declared, "Speaking of marriage, I hope you're planning to marry that girl who takes classes here."

"Chizuru?" Big brother asked before his face grew red, and he teasingly gripped his sister's nose very gently and commanded, "Keep your nose out of that area of my life!"

Koishi only laughed in response as she turned to her family and reassured, "I won't be gone long!" as she waved a hand goodbye.

Outside the gates, she smiled up at her husband (she giggled to herself to call him that), and looped her arm around his arm. Enishi then turned down the path and led them away.

"So, where're we going?" Koishi asked. "The day is only half way over."

"I have a promise to keep." Enishi answered.

"What promise is that?"

He looked down at her with very soft topaz-blue eyes, and answered, "A promise I made, to sit under the sakura and eat sukiyaki."

At first she blinked, then remembered and a smile grew on her lips, but requested, "Let's eat sukiyaki later. Right now, I just want to sit under the sakura trees. We have a long time together to fulfill promises."

"If you want." He agreed and led them to the very rural area of the city, and through very thick, dense foliage.

A few times, Koishi stumbled, but Enishi prevented her from falling each time, and finally, they came to a clearing, and the young woman could not help but gasp in awe. "Nee-san and I were the only ones to know about this place. Well, except for her fiancee, but he died and took the secret with him, as did Nee-san. Now we're the only ones who know about it."

Koishi walked forward in pleasant surprise at she looked up at the cluster of pink sakura trees as their pink pedals rained down on them like snow. It littered the ground, covering up the thick green grass below as the sweet scent filled the air. It was like walking into a secret garden, and best of all, no one knew about it, save for the two of them, so it truly was secret and very secluded.

She turned back and gently grasped her husband's hand and led them both to a sakura tree where they sat down under it. She tilted her head back with a brilliant smile as she let the tiny pink pedals fall on her face like tiny flecks of snow. She laughed when they tickled her skin, and then she looked to her companion as he stared at her.

"This is a secluded place, right?" she asked.

"Aa."

"And no one else knows about this place, right?"

"Aa."

Koishi rose to her knees towards Enishi, leaned forward and kissed him full on the lips as she wrapped her arms around him. She pulled back with a smile and then kissed him again. When she pulled back once more she said, "I know this morning was such a whirlwind, but I just want you to know that I love you...Eni-kun."

Enishi blinked at her nickname for him, but thought nothing of it as she reached behind her and untied her obi. She did not open her kimono folds to expose herself fully, but rather, just enough to show the scar on her body, which was no longer angry-red, but was still thick and blatant. He suspected it would fade after time, but would never go away completely.

"This is proof that I love you, Enishi." Koishi said solemnly. "Remember that."

**(FINAL LEMON BEGINS HERE!)**

He had no reply to that, so he just nodded his head with a somber face, which quickly went away when she opened her kimono fully for his eyes to behold. He placed a gentle hand on the side of her face and slowly moved that hand down to her chest, and in between her breasts. She closed her eyes with soft pleasure as he paused in his caress and then he used two hands to open her kimono more until it fell off her body and pooled at her waist.

Koishi shivered at the wind that caressed her half exposed body and her nipples erected from the erotic, primal feel of it. She could feel the blood pool down to her nether regions as she ached for her husband to fill her. She opened her eyes, looked at his topaz-blue eyes and saw passion, possession, yearning...and love.

Koishi grabbed him by his changshan shirt and yanked him to her, where she caught his mouth with hers. They had not been this way in almost a month, and she did not want to waste any more time waiting. She needed him and she needed him now.

Enishi sensed it and his need heightened. There was plenty of time for them to be slow and loving for other nights, but not now; they just needed each other. They discarded all their clothing aside as the falling sakura pedals fell onto them. He held her in his arms as they laid down together under the sweet tree, and she splayed her legs; her flower beckoned him to become reacquainted with her. And when he accepted her invitation, and they united, she could not help but throw back her head with an, "OH!" as she once again felt the familiar sensations.

"Mine." Enishi breathed as he thrust and claimed her soft lips with his. "Only mine."

"Yes," Koishi cried out as she took everything he had to give. "I'm...oh! only yours."

He wrapped his arms around her and continued to thrust as he held her close to him. There was so much possession and passion in him this time that it overwhelmed the petite woman under him, but she took it all. She would never be undermined again and she also wrapped her arms around his thrusting body to be more close to him.

Time was lost to them as they continued loving each other with something as simple as making love, but it was much more powerful than it had ever been. They whispered each other's names as they climbed to their peaks with the help of their bodies grinding against one another. When Koishi reached hers, she could not help but cry out with a sob from the power of it, and Enishi kissed her tears away before he also reached his peak.

**(FINAL LEMON ENDS HERE!)**

It was like slowly coming down from an upper sky distance, only to slowly float back down into their bodies as their nerves were heightened with sensitivity. There was nothing in the world like it; something as simple as intimacy became a very powerful force. Now, there was only their lives together, and nothing else mattered. She rested her head on his shoulder and relaxed with her eyes closed.

Both Enishi and Koishi rested in each other's arms under the tree, both content and happy, with nothing but time before them.

**The End**

**AN:** Hello, my wonderful readers! I hope everyone enjoyed this story from beginning to end. When I completed this, I thought of making one last chapter, or Epilogue, because I did leave a few things unanswered; What happened to Bao? Will Kaoru forever disapprove of Koishi and Enishi's relationship? Will Enishi ever fully forgive Kenshin, just as Tomoe told her brother he should do? Will the Chinese mafia come after Koishi?

I will post one more chapter (Epilogue) and then I will let go of this story. What do you readers say?


	28. Chapter 28

**AN:** You know what sucks so much? Having this epilogue almost finished, and then my original computer crashes (with anti-everything installed in it!) and I lose all my work. Not just this final chapter, but also my other RK fan fics in the works. I swear I'm cursed, because this happened to me five times. (Sigh) So, this epilogue is not as long as it was going to be, but I made it go the same way as I imagined it. Also, I hope it doesn't come out too cliché, and I will explain why it went the way it did at the end of this final chapter.

**Twisted Fate**

_Epilogue_

The early morning was cool to feel with a slight fog covering the growing city, making the air wet. The sun was coming up in the eastern horizon, so the fog was almost dissipated, but it still lingered. As the fog continued its presence, a lone figure sat on the embankment next to the city's river. He sat with one leg bent upright, the other leg was straight, and he rested an arm on the upright bent leg. To say the least, it was the exact same position he sat in when he was in the Fallen Village, with his mind and spirit broken.

Yukishiro Enishi had much to ponder and the seclusion of the embankment, away from the hustle of the city, was an excellent place for a person to gather their thoughts.

He had been married for a year and three months to his wife, Yukishiro Koishi, and it had been a good year, with the extra months involved. Enishi had kept his promise and he had worked with Saitou, Chou, and when an investigation demanded it, even Battousai. Uramura had been correct when he thought of Enishi as a valuable asset, because the former mob boss had worked with corrupt officials, so they trusted him more due to their acquaintances. He did, however, take much precaution when he informed of officials' corruption, so as not to expose himself to those individuals.

Of course, no matter what was involved, he always kept Koishi separate from his work life. While the Chinese mafia seemed to have dismissed the identity of "Himura Koishi" as useless to pursue, there was no need to attract unwanted attention, which was why he basically hid her away. Their house, newly built on the old Yukishiro property, had a decent amount of foliage surrounding it so one would either have to know where it was, or be guided to it by those who had knowledge of its location.

The house was traditional Japanese, complete with an engawa surrounding the house, and a connecting engawa to the bathhouse behind it. The house itself was two bedrooms, with a dining room and kitchen. It was a small, simple house on an ample amount of land, very different from his mansion in Shanghai, and Koishi insisted she preferred it that way.

She did not know it, but Enishi had sold off the Shanghai mansion six months ago and put the large sum acquired from it in a locked account so that Koishi would be able to live comfortably for the rest of her life, upon his own death.

Enishi sighed hard when he thought of that, and inwardly shook his head. He and his wife had an argument earlier that morning, just as the sun was starting to rise. His whole life, all his plans, if he had any, had been turned completely around with the break of dawn when his wife uttered a few simple words. He remembered he felt panicked at the unexpected news, unprepared, and just did not know how to handle it. When he was in such a state of mind, his mouth ran ahead of his brain, and he said something he knew he should not have. She left him there, on the engawa, and he followed.

When he saw Koishi only went to the Kamiya dojo, he stayed behind and sat on the river's embankment. He never once set foot on the property, not since they were married, and that was a whole year ago. Tokyo was in the middle of the sakura festivals, but he never went to the hanami picnic with Koishi; he only saw her safely to the group and stayed away. Her family did invite him, but he did not want to attend simply due to her family's friends and the looks they cast his way, especially from the woman doctor. Not only that, but the sapphire eyed woman still did not approve of their marriage, and even though she was polite enough, he did not want to cause discord among everyone, so he stayed away.

Koishi did, however, spend much time with her family when Enishi's investigations took him all over the county of Japan. He did not mind it, of course, for it sometimes took a few months for him to come home, and he did not want her to be lonely. It was that time, three months ago, however, that put him into the position he was currently in; it took three whole months for him to complete the investigation he was on, and it took him all the way to his first year anniversary month.

Enishi did everything he could, but he could not get back to Koishi before their first year wedding anniversary, and on the very day, he finally made it home, but only in the late evening. She did not complain, as gentle-hearted as she naturally was, and she was happy to see him, to have at least the evening together. That night…

"Enishi…?"

Damn it; he knew that boyish voice, and he honestly did not want to deal with him right now when he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. In an argument between spouses, the parents always side with their own child, and no doubt, the redhead would be on his daughter's side of the disagreement.

"I thought that was you." Kenshin commented as he also sat down on the embankment, and Enishi had to wonder what level of intelligence the redhead had; it was not as if there were very many spiky, white-haired men around with a youthful face.

Battousai placed a bamboo container next to himself and readied the bamboo rod with a string at the other end. He dropped the string part into the water, and he smiled as he explained, "The early morning is the best time for fishing because the fish are more eager to bite. This is also a great place to gather your thoughts and calm your mind. I used to take Kenji and Koishi here often, when they were younger."

Koishi…

"How was she this morning?" Enishi inquired.

Kenshin glanced at his fishing companion as he raised his rod, only to see it was still empty on the other end. He frowned in disappointment and he put the string back down as he answered, "She got sick this morning. She also said she saw Megumi-dono yesterday."

"…Aa…she did."

Koishi had been rather sick after Enishi had gotten back after a half month investigation. He insisted she saw a doctor, and even settled for "that woman," meaning Megumi. He even promised that if she did not see a doctor about her sickness, he would throw her over his shoulder and carry her all the way to any doctor's office.

He knew she would do it after he told her that, for it would have caused a scandal. They were always known as the neighborhood "odd couple," and when they got married so quickly, the gossiping hags talked of Koishi being pregnant; but when her abdomen failed to grow, that rumor was laid to rest. Then there were some policemen who did not know how to separate their work lives from their personal lives, and those who knew, informed their wives that Enishi was Koishi's father's brother-in-law. Not only that, but also that Koishi was, at one time, sold as merchandise.

The rumors spread like bees to honey, and some even twisted the details around; she had been forced to marry him, and another was, she had willingly sold herself to an in-law.

Koishi tried to be peaceful and not cause a scandal, so when Enishi told her he would carry her off to see a doctor if she did not see one by the time he returned from a minor investigation, she took it seriously and saw the woman doctor. He returned home late that night, and she was asleep, so the next morning, that morning, he asked her if she saw a doctor; she said she did, and that was when he got the shock of his life.

"You're really quiet." Kenshin commented as he raised his fishing rod to see the line empty yet again.

He was not going to tell his…father-in-law his personal problems. They should remain between himself and his wife.

"Koishi is pregnant." Enishi blurted out before his brain could stop his mouth, and when he said the words, it made it that much more real.

"Uh-huh." The redhead simply said.

"She told you already…" The white-haired man did not question, but stated.

"No," Kenshin corrected. "Kaoru and Sessha figured it out ourselves a week ago when she came for another visit. She smelled the cooking fish and she got sick; after she threw up she felt better, ready to eat, and that was when we suspected, even before she considered it."

Enishi inwardly sighed again. He knew Battousai would side with his daughter on this matter, but he still admitted, "I don't…want this."

With a solemn face, Kenshin raised his fishing rod again, and again, he placed the empty end back into the water. He then cautiously stated, "You're married; pregnancies are to be expected. It's practically every man's wish to have an offspring before they pass." Still cautious, he asked, "Why would you not want this?"

Here goes…

"To start," Enishi answered, his eyes still on the peaceful river. "I think I'm passed the age of having children."

"Wait… how old are you again?" Kenshin asked, and when the white-haired man gave him a sufferable look, the older man then reminded, "Some men have children older than you. I've known a few men who already have grandchildren and they still have children with their much younger wives."

"Yes, I know; but remember, this is personal."

"Okay; good point."

The silence filled the air once more, and Enishi started to drift away in his mind. He knew exactly when it happened; the night he came back on their first year anniversary. He had always been cautious when they coupled, even before and after they were married, and if he was not sure if she was close to her month, he would always spill his seed outside of her. That night, however, after two months absence from each other, he threw all caution to the wind; he held her to him as he grind their hips together with soft moans and cries filling the air. And he spilled his seed inside her many, many times.

That was three months ago.

"Do you think that woman might be wrong?" Enishi suddenly asked.

"Megumi-dono?" Kenshin confirmed as he dropped his empty line yet again. "She doesn't like to give a…what's the word she uses…a diagnosis unless she's absolutely sure herself. So, Sessha thinks she's more than likely correct about Koishi."

Damn; he was afraid of that.

"Second reason," Enishi started again. "The large age differences between Koishi and I."

Of course Battousai would give a confused look, for their age differences never stopped Enishi before, and even after he knew that Koishi is the daughter of the man he once hated, it still did not stop him.

"I don't know why," The white-haired man explained. "For Koishi's peers, it's easier for the young men to marry a widow without children than it is for them to marry a widow with children."

Realization dawned on the redhead's face, and then he said, "That's because the young men Koishi's age are just that; still young. Once they're older, Sessha is sure that they will change their minds. Not to sound egotistical, but Koishi is a very beautiful young woman."

"I know." Enishi agreed matter-of-factly.

It still irritated him to no end that, despite Koishi always wearing a "I am married" kimono, men still looked her. She never noticed it before, and she still never noticed it, but she did catch many men's eyes, especially when she smiled and those duo-colored irises lit up, locking all the light around in them. That was when they looked her way. Some men just glanced, like admiring a beautiful work of art, and then some men lingered with desirable eyes. That was when Enishi threw them a dangerous look so they knew to look away, so they all knew she belonged to him and she was not for the taking.

"So," Kenshin started again. "The second reason you didn't want children was to give Koishi ample opportunity if something happens to you."

"Aa."

"I don't mean to pry…but is there anything else?"

"Aa…" Enishi practically hesitated. "My mother died giving birth to me. After that, my father was hardly around. That's the third point I'm trying to make; Koishi might die during childbirth."

"…Yes," Kenshin agreed. "There's that possibility. Of course, it's the factor of life; childbirth is always dangerous to women." He cast his empty line into the water again. "What else is there?"

Enishi sighed hard, for this was the biggest factor of them all, and he admitted, "The word 'father' doesn't exactly have a positive meaning for me. After my mother died, my father was hardly around. My guess is, he just could not stand to see the face of the son who caused the death of the woman he loved."

The redhead nodded in understanding and he comforted, "That was your father. You have a different choice if that happens. You don't have to be like him."

"We still receive our examples from our fathers." Enishi pointed. "What was your father like?"

Kenshin blinked in surprise at the question but answered, "Oh, um, he worked hard to grow crops for selling. When I was old enough, we worked the field together…And then a sickness came to the village I lived in, and both my mother and father died from it. Almost a year of living alone, the village was attacked and I was taken away by slave traders. The group was then attacked by bandits and I was saved by a man who adopted me, gave me a new name, and taught me Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu."

"Wait…he gave you a new name?"

"Yes."

"So, what was your original name?"

"Shinta." A silence fell between the duo, and Kenshin continued, "The point is—"

"You're name was Shinta?" Enishi repeated as if he could not believe it.

It was rare for Kenshin to grow annoyed, but he gave a sufferable, annoyed sigh before he answered, "Yes, my name was 'Shinta' as a boy."

"Did you know you just completely destroyed that whole 'Battousai' image with that name alone?" He then started laughing, and then mocked, "Shinta the Battousai!"

"The point I'm trying to make is," Kenshin interrupted. "Just because you didn't have a good father to begin with, doesn't mean you'll turn out like him, or treat your child the same. If I thought like that, I would never have Kenji or Koishi. Of course, I can empathize with your other fears."

"You were fearful when your children were born?" Enishi asked with disbelief.

"Mostly when Sessha found out about Kaoru's pregnancy with Kenji." The redhead answered, his violet irises held a distant look in them. "Sessha didn't let Kaoru know it, but he was very scared. Sessha wondered, what sort of father a destructive man would make. What had he done to deserve such a blessing? More importantly…Sessha didn't want the child to grow up to be like him."

Enishi glanced at Kenshin, for that was exactly the way he was feeling, but he did not know if the redhead could understand it.

"Everything I had done…" The former assassin continued. "Sessha didn't want his son to have anything to do with that. Sessha was…cautious, or perhaps, too cautious, and he didn't mind Kenji being a swordsman, but when he started to pick up all techniques he heard about, Sessha grew more scared. When Kenji got older, Sessha could see so much of his younger, Battousai self in his son that he grew petrified. We clashed so much because of that unsettled fear. Finally, Kenji ran away to the mountains close to Kyoto, where Sessha's master lived, and he finally understood what Sessha had been trying to teach him."

"He's a good boy now." Enishi agreed.

"Yes, he is." Kenshin agreed, fondly. "Although he's not so much a boy now; he and Chizuru-dono are going to be married within a year."

"Do you think…?" The white-haired man hesitated, but completed his request any way. "Do you think you would care for the child, if anything happened to Koishi and I?"

"We're family, so of course we would take the child in. What made you doubt us?"

"My family." Enishi answered honestly. "After the Bakumatsu, no one in my family took me in, and that's another reason why I ended up in Shanghai."

"Don't worry," Kenshin reassured. "Even if your child had no immediate family, our friends would still step in and care for him…or her. We knew what it was like to take care of ourselves as children." He yanked up his fishing line, and finally there was a wiggling fish at the end of it. "Ah! Sessha finally caught one!" He placed it in the container he brought with him, and he again reassured, "Everything will be fine once you see your child for the first time, that it will. You'll see."

Enishi simply nodded once and stood up to head towards the Kamiya dojo. He needed to fix the dispute between himself and his wife.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Yukishiro Koishi set her chopsticks down on the food tray with a soft sigh. Her appetite just had not been what it used to be; half of it was her pregnancy, and the other half was discouragement. She did not like arguing with her husband. It just put an unsettled feeling in her stomach, even before her current condition, which was why she rarely argued. Even before they were married, they only had one explosive argument when they were in Shanghai. Disagreements were abound, of course, but never yelling arguments.

This morning was one of those rare occurrences. Maybe she should have just bluntly told him, just like Enishi complained about…

"_Would you reconsider children, or perhaps, just one child?" Koishi asked._

"_No." Enishi firmly stated with his arms crossed in front of him as he leaned against the engawa post._

"_You reconsidered marrying me when you made it a ground rule, in the beginning of our relationship, that you would not be making it legal." She reminded with a rather offensive attitude._

"_Yes," He agreed, but then countered. "However, I would've eventually married you, even without everything else that happened, because I wanted to."_

"_But children—"_

"_I would never reconsider it, so don't ask again." Silence fell between the couple, and he then asked, "What brought it up anyway?"_

"_I'm pregnant." Koishi flatly stated._

_It was as if Enishi had become a human statue, and when his frozen body could finally move again, his arms simply dropped to his side and they hung uselessly. A cold chill swept through him, and all he could sputter was, "W-What?"_

"_I'm pregnant." She repeated._

_He was sure it was a dream; yes, maybe he was still asleep, for that could be the only explanation as to why his brain could not form a coherent thought. Through the numbness, all he could mumble was, "Oh…shit…"_

_Enishi could practically see the fire explode in Koishi's eyes as she immediately went on the defense and demanded, "Is 'oh shit' all you're going to say?!"_

"_Well, what else could I possibly say?!" He yelled back, and even though he had become more reasonable with his wife around, he just lost it all and his mouth took over in place of his numb brain. "I already confirmed that I wasn't going to reconsider the children issue, and then you tell me the news of the century!"_

_She stood up to her feet on the engawa and yelled, "I had to know the truth!"_

"_And I hope you're happy with it. Just do me a favor next time and stop pussyfooting around the issue, and just tell me straight instead of setting me up to make an ass out of myself!"_

"_You can 'make an ass' out of yourself just perfectly without my help! I just know that there's nothing we can do about it now!"_

"_Exactly!" He agreed with embitterment. "We just have to accept the little brat!"_

_Enishi did not mean to say it and he had not even been thinking it, but his mouth got ahead of him and the words came out. As soon as they were out, he had deep regret for saying them, and he knew he could not take it back, even though he wished he could. Especially when Koishi's beautiful eyes filled and shimmered with unshed tears, and then she left him on the engawa to go towards the dojo…_

Koishi once again sighed and cleared the food trays. She deposited them down next to the water basin used to wash dishes and proceeded to silently wash all utensils. As she washed, she heard whispering around the engawa, followed by a feminine giggle. It was then she knew it was her brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law.

Chizuru had a hard time in the beginning, regarding her relationship with Kenji. Her grandfather very much disapproved of his granddaughter marrying a mere dojo heir, and he forbade her from seeing the young man. The young woman fought her grandfather on the issue very hard, and she even caused a community scandal by sneaking out to see the young redhead.

After some time, the grandfather had enough of Chizuru, and he basically did not allow her to go back home. That was when she came to live at the Kamiya dojo, and was employed as an assistant to Megumi-sensei.

"Hey, imoutou-chan!" Kenji greeted. "What're you doing here?"

"I just came to eat breakfast here." Koishi answered as she continued to do the dishes.

"Yukishiro-san is not at home?" Chizuru inquired, hanging on to her fiancée's arm like a decoration.

The young woman stilled at the mention of her husband and she simply answered, "He's home, but he's the reason why I'm here."

"Oh, you two had a lovers' spat?" Kenji laughed.

"You could say that…" Koishi cautiously agreed.

"What was it about?" He continued to tease. "Let me guess, he still had those Western shoes on when he stepped up onto the engawa."

"I wish it was that simple." The young woman muttered. "No; um, oni-san, how would you like to be an uncle?"

Kenji blinked as Chizuru smiled, for she already knew about it, working with Megumi and all, and all the young man could stupidly say was, "So, you're…pregnant?"

"Yes."

"Oh…my little sister is going to be a mommy."

Koishi smiled at that, for it sounded appealing to her for some strange reason. Then big brother requested, "I want to hear you say it!"

"Say what?" She asked, genuinely confused.

"About a year ago," He explained. "You said you're not going to have children, and then I said 'slip ups can happen.' I want to hear you say it!"

Not having any more argument left in her, Koishi simply agreed, "You were right, oni-san."

Everyone could practically see Kenji's ego inflate and a satisfied smile graced his lips. Then he asked, "So why is Ani-san the reason why you're here?"

"Enishi didn't…take the news too well." Koishi answered as she stood to her feet, now done with the dishes.

"Why not?" Kenji asked with obvious confusion.

"Ano…" She hesitated, not knowing if she wanted to tell her brother about her premarital relationship. "We agreed not to have children, even before we got married."

"So, then why're you pregnant?" He continued to interrogate.

She gave a hard sigh, and simply answered, "It was just a miscalculation."

"If it's a 'miscalculation,' then he shouldn't be angry at anyone but himself." Kenji noted.

"Maybe he is…" Koishi mumbled with realization. "Although, I don't think I should've been so sensitive."

"And there it is." Big brother said with annoyance. "Ottotsuan's self-blaming personality comes out in you."

"Good morning."

The two siblings jumped, along with Chizuru, and turned to see their father stood with a fish crate in his hand, as well a fishing rod in the other hand. The slightly annoyed look on his face told everyone that he overheard what Kenji had said.

"Oh," Kenji chuckled. "Ottotsuan is back…or should I say, Ojii-chan." (Ojii-chan = Grandpa)

Kenshin ignored his son, turned to his daughter and said, "You have a visitor waiting for you at the front gate."

Koishi simply frowned, for everyone knew she no longer lived at the Kamiya dojo, but she simply nodded and headed towards the gates. When she passed through, she saw Enishi standing against a tree with a solemn gaze and crossed arms. He then straightened up as they met each other half way on the dirt road.

"I think," She admitted her previous confession. "I think I was being oversensitive."

"You're pregnant." Enishi simply dismissed. "I was informed that you'll be more emotional than usual."

No doubt Koishi was relieved to hear that, and she immediately wrapped her arms around him. Enishi stiffened for a fraction before he relax, uncomfortable with public display of affection, but he did not push her away, either.

"I think we have much to discuss." She said after she pulled away with a smile. "We should go home."

He simply nodded and they walked the dirt path together.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

A few months passed by very quickly as Enishi adjusted to the idea of being a father. He still had his doubts, obviously, but he never voiced them to his wife. Koishi had been beautiful before, but he noticed, during her pregnancy, she was absolutely stunning. It was as if there was some sort of ethereal glow around her that made her more attractive.

After her sickness passed, her appetite increased, which was to be expected. Half way through the fourth month, her lower belly started to grow in the lower region. It was a small bump, easily hidden under the few layers of a kimono, but definitely noticeable when she was nude. He did not know why, but her more feral appetite also dramatically increased during the fourth month; not that he was complaining.

When the fifth month began, Koishi made it a point to keep herself clothed, even in front of Enishi, which confused him greatly. After a few times, he got fed up with it, and he opened her yukata for her, and she flinched, trying to cover herself back up, and she started crying that she was getting fat. He raised an eyebrow at her, telling her not to be ridiculous, which only made her cry more.

By the sixth month, Koishi was a canon who could explode at any moment. She grew angry at even the littlest things; a stain that would not come out of a piece of clothing, the engawa would not shine like it used it, and she especially grew angry when she found out the men in her life, being Sano, Yahiko, Kenji, and even Shinya, were placing bets as to the gender of the child.

She found that out when at the dojo, Shinya and Kenji did not know she was there, and they asked the students of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu if they would like to place bets on the gender of Koishi's unborn child. She then threw a fit, got a bokken, and proceeded to whack every single person who dared to even place a bet.

Koishi tried to keep her schedule as much as possible, even with her growing belly, but it irritated her that people would rub her very swollen midsection as if she was a Buddha statue and they were making a wish. One of her schedules was helping Bao relearn Japanese. Bao had to remain in jail for two years for killing Huang, but she only had a few more months to go.

During a lesson, Bao mentioned she would like to seek out her parents, but she did not know where to start. Koishi mentioned that she knew some people in Kyoto who could help her with that, so she sent a letter to Misao. She did not make it a letter of request, at first, but told her Kyoto aunt how her life was, and that she was married to Yukishiro Enishi, and expecting a baby. Then she made her request.

It took three weeks for Misao to respond, but when she did, she congratulated Koishi for her successful life, and said she would help Bao to find her parents. She also sent a letter to Kaoru, asking if it was the same "Yukishiro Enishi" they knew. Kaoru had to respond truthfully, and she tried to explain it the best she could, but she lacked the details.

She then got angry at her daughter for it, and that was when Koishi knew her mother never told anyone outside of her close circle of friends that she married Enishi. She then got angry at her mother in return and yelled, "Are you ashamed of the man I married?!"

It caused a spat between them, and after that, for a whole week and a half, Koishi refused to go back to the dojo, no matter how lonely she got when her husband was away. When Enishi found out about it, he encouraged her to go back to see her family. He knew how Kaoru felt about their relationship, but he did not want them arguing over it. She remained stubborn about it, but when her father stopped by their house, and asked if she was alright, Koishi decided to set aside her anger towards her mother, and she went back to the dojo continuously.

Enishi did not mind his wife's irritability as long as it was not directed towards him, and when it was, he simply remained silent and stayed away from her until she calmed down. More months passed by, and even Enishi was beginning to wonder when the baby would come, because he did not know if he could handle Koishi's irritation and crying spells any longer. It was like he was on an emotional ship during a typhoon; he did not like it one bit.

On a cold, rainy winter day, Enishi worked late into the night with Saitou on a developing case of smuggling. After unsuccessfully searching ships at Yokohama harbor, he returned home to Tokyo in a rather bad mood, just hoping to get some sleep, for it was close to dawn. By the time he got to the city, the rain had pretty much dissipated, but the dark clouds still lingered, even though they could not be seen due to the darkness of the night.

Enishi was about to pass through the gate but he stopped when he heard women's hushed voices inside. He cracked the wooden gate door opened and peered through. He heard the small wail before he saw the source, but he saw that woman cleaning up an exhausted looking Koishi as her assistant, Chizuru, helped the young woman get a yukata on to cover her nude body. It was Koishi's mother, Kaoru, who sat close to her daughter as she was being cleaned up, and in her arms was a wrapped, wailing bundle.

He knew, without being told, to stay outside the gate because births were considered a woman thing, and in their culture, men were never involved in the least. The only ones who attended a birth were the women in the birthing mother's life, and in Koishi's case, her mother. Still, he could not help but worry about Koishi, to wonder if she was alright. That woman, the doctor, did not seem too worried when he kept peering through, so his guess was his wife was just fine.

Finally, after Koishi was cleaned up and clothed, she relaxed and sat with her back propped up against one of the wooden engawa beams. It was then that Enishi realized his wife gave birth on the engawa, which was strange to him, for he always thought women gave birth in the bedroom. Maybe, due to the lack of men on the property, the birth was not limited to the room.

Kaoru smiled down at the wrapped bundle in her arms before she carefully passed it off to her daughter, and the young woman ever so gently cradled it with one arm. She moved the blanket away just a bit, and a small head could be seen lightly covered with very dark hair. Koishi's eyes filled with amazement and wonder as she smiled down at the little one in her arms.

It was then that the woman doctor smiled and bid goodnight, for it was very, very late at night, maybe just a few hours before dawn, and her and a very tired Chizuru headed towards the wooden gate's door. Enishi moved to stand a ways away from the gate, and the doctor made her exit. She stopped when she saw him, and gave him a stare then asked, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long." He replied. "It's too late for women to be walking the streets."

It was a hint, possibly an offer, but Megumi indicated with her head and replied, "There's a man waiting to walk me home."

Enishi looked over and saw that street fighter with half-lidded eyes, and then he asked, "The girl?" meaning Chizuru.

"I'm also walking her home." The street fighter, Sanosuke, said.

The white-haired man nodded once, and knew Kaoru would be staying in the house's second bedroom for a few nights, for the mothers always helped their daughters, and even daughter-in-laws, after births. That meant there was no need to walk the woman home at such an hour. He turned and finally walked through the wooden gate just in time to see Kaoru helping Koishi to the bedroom.

The new mother stood in the room with the bundle in her arms as her mother rolled out the futon for her. The young woman then smiled gratefully and carefully sat before placing the bundle down gently so she could slide in between the covers. She laid down next to the baby, and Kaoru exited the room, sliding the shouji door closed.

When she turned around she slightly jumped to see Enishi standing in the middle of the front yard. She then pursed her lips and whispered, "Now that there's a baby involved…my grandchild, I was hoping we could start spending more time together…as a family."

Enishi knew what Kaoru meant; she just accepted his marriage to Koishi, because there was now a child involved, and the new grandmother did not want to be without the grandchild. He understood it that way, but he did not want to deny her the right to be a grandparent, so he settled the matter between them with a single nod of his head.

Kaoru seemed to brighten up more and she gave a tired smile before she turned to walk towards the second bedroom. Before she walked around the corner of the engawa, she whispered, "Congratulations. I hope you choose a good name."

Of course; it was the father's right to name the child he sired. Unfortunately, he had no names in mind, but at least he had seven days to think of one before the Oshichiya Meimeishiki, or Baby Naming Ceremony.

Enishi put such thoughts out of his mind as he used his feet to take off his Western shoes before he stepped up onto the engawa. He sighed in a single rush and then silently opened the shouji door and stepped inside. He slid it closed again, noted that only one lantern was lit for the night as he set his watou up against the wall and proceeded to disrobe.

He silently walked on the tatami mats beneath his feet as he walked around the futon to see the bundle lying next to his wife. He sat beside the futon and very carefully picked up the baby with one hand supporting the head. The bundle wiggled in protest for a moment, the face scrunched up, and ready to cry before it found itself resting in strong but gentle arms.

Enishi observed the wrapped baby with its thick set of black hair on top of the head and chubby cheeks with pouty lips. The baby opened its eyes, blinked, unable to see, until those topaz-blue eyes focused on him. They both stared at each other and the sire could see the shape of his eyes on the little person he held. He breathed in wonder; never in his entire life had he seen something so beautiful, including Koishi.

He felt whole, complete, as he stared at his offspring, but simultaneously, he felt insignificant, inaccurate. He wanted to be everything for this child, and he knew that if the child would ask him, he would do anything. This beautiful baby…

"What do you think of our handy work?"

Enishi looked towards his right very slightly and saw Koishi was awake. Her mother instincts must have woken her up, informing her that her baby was not lying next to her. He was mute to her question as he looked back at the beautiful baby. He did not know why, but he felt like he always wanted to look at the child.

"…Beautiful…" Was all he could whisper.

"Yes, he is."

Enishi swallowed hard and confirmed, "He?"

Koishi allowed a breathy, quiet laugh as she answered, "Yes; we have a son."

A son…a beautiful son…

He did not want this innocent creature to know pain and suffering the way he had known it. He wanted his son to know nothing but happiness, and even if it exhausted him, Enishi wanted his son to succeed in everything he wanted to accomplish. He inwardly shook his head at himself, for he knew Japanese parents were strict, but they loved their children more than anything in the world, and they spent all their time and energy on their children, which was why most of them did not have a long line of offspring like some Westerns.

Yes, he could already tell he was going to be soft with this boy.

"What is it?" Koishi suddenly asked.

Enishi wondered what expression he had on his face that would cause his wife to ask such a question, but he only answered, "I hope he has your kind, big heart."

Big heart…

"Was it bad?" He asked to change subjects. "I mean the birth."

"It wasn't easy." She answered as her eyes drifted closed. "I got through it, though." She then hissed as if in pain, and she added, "I just wish Okkasan would've told me that birth is not the end of it. Afterwards, we cramp and bleed."

"Oh that's a beautiful image." Enishi replied with playful sarcasm. He gently placed his son down next to his wife, placed a light kiss on his wife's lips and whispered, "Goodnight, my little rabbit."

It was very early morning; the sun had not yet risen, although the light could be seen on the horizon in dark pink hues. Enishi stood outside on the engawa with the seven day old bundle in his arms. He had started a habit of taking his son away from Koishi for an hour or two so she could get some sleep. The baby nursed quite often; at least once every two or three hours. His wife never complained, but he knew she needed help, and even though her mother was always there, he did not expect her to stay with them for a long time. So he decided to take it upon himself to help out somewhat, even against the cultural norm.

Enishi looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms and thought of his other problem: he still had not figured out a name for his son, and today was the day of the baby's Oshichiya Meimeishiki. Everyone Koishi and her family knew were to attend, and after the temple, where the baby would be named, the party was to be at the dojo where everyone would give their gifts to the boy; like a reverse Western baby shower.

Although his face was always passive, Enishi's eyes were very soft while looking down at his son. He whispered aloud, "Nee-san, if only you could see your beautiful nephew."

Even though he had not seen or even heard his sister since the time he was in jail, and he decided to live on with Koishi, he still thought of his sister a few times; when he married his wife, he wished she could be there, and now with a son, he wished she could see the baby. No doubt she would have spoiled the boy to no end.

"…_It is time to forgive him for what he had done. You no longer hate him, yes, but you never forgave him; and now that you have Koishi, you need to forgive her father."_

He could still hear his sister's words loud and clear, even though she was no longer with him. He knew that part of his reason for staying away from Koishi's family was not just to prevent discord, but also because he had not yet forgiven the family patriarch.

Battousai…

It was such a strong, powerful name and everyone, during the Bakumatsu in Kyoto, would shiver in fear upon hearing it. The name "Kenshin" was also an excellent name for a swordsman, but a swordsman can often struggle with what they have done wrong, and Enishi knew that man had done much struggling and suffering, but with it, he found the answer to his crimes as a hitokiri; to keep living for those who are also suffering.

The man had given his son, Kenji, a good, strong name, as well. He had given his daughter a cute name, because he wanted her to choose her own fate, to make her own choices; and that was what Enishi wanted for his son. He wanted his son to be his own person with his own interests with his mother's kind, big heart, unlike the grandfather who never had a chance at his first name, before he was renamed by the man who adopted him.

The baby in his arms then started to stir with a scrunched up face as he made little choking cries. The boy needed his mother's milk so he quickly went back to the room, and Koishi sat upright as soon as she heard the wailing. The father passed the baby off to the mother and she quickly fed him. Thoughtfully, Enishi stared for a moment at his nursing son and he knew, then, what to name him. There was also a sense of genuine forgiveness towards the grandfather, not because he felt obligated, but because they both needed it.

The couple both dressed for the Oshichiya Meimeishiki, and the new mother dressed the boy up in a baby yukata. For the special occasion, Koishi wore a yellow-colored kimono embroidered with blue cranes all over the fabric, while Enishi simply wore a black kung fu suit with gold dragons embroidered on it. Then the couple was off to greet the rest of the participants at the Kamiya dojo.

Koishi carried the infant boy as they walked and when they got to their destination, she was surprised to see her brother and father outside the gates as if waiting for them. Then her surprise vanished when she realized the two men had never laid eyes on her son for the seven days since he had been born. They were probably eager to see him.

Kenji was the first to walk up and look down at the bundle of joy in his sister's arms, and he then proclaimed, "Oh, he is cute!" He then turned to his brother-in-law and said, "Looks like you listened to me." When Enishi slightly frowned, the young man explained, "Before, I said we're a good-looking family, and you need to make sure you also have good-looking children. You did it; the boy qualifies."

"Yea," Enishi stated sarcastically. "I just made sure I put that in with the order before the baby was born."

Kenshin dared to chortle, but Kenji remained oblivious as he cooed at his nephew. Then the young man said, "Imotou-chan, our mother doesn't want to ask you, but she needs help with a few things so we can get the ceremony started."

"Alright." Koishi agreed and then passed her son off to her father, who expertly cradled the baby's head with one arm and supported the rest of the body with the other arm.

When the two siblings left, Kenshin finally saw his grandson for the first time, and Enishi could see the fondness plainly on the man's face as he smiled with a bright, beaming smile. The white-haired man allowed the grandfather his moment, but it was the grandfather who chose to break it.

"Did you think of any names for him?" He asked.

Enishi cleared his throat, for he knew it was going to sound cliché, but he answered, "I have a single, fitting name in mind, and I think you should hear it first, because the reason behind it is personal, between you and me."

"Okay…" The redhead said with prompt.

"I decided to name him Shinta." It was not unexpected to see the man blink, and it was not surprising to see his violet eyes widen. Then the explanation came, "The kanji for 'Shinta' is 'entrusting heart,' and I want him to be like that in life…although not painfully entrusting." Kenshin then frowned slightly, for it sounded like the other man was hinting at something. "And also, I will name him 'Shinta,' because I want you to know that I forgive you for what happened to Nee-san…and I think it's long overdue."

Kenshin did not utter a word or sound, even after the given explanation. Even so, he looked immensely relieved as it seemed a few years were taken off his face, and he nodded his gratefulness for it seemed he was too choked to speak.

"Sessha…" He tried, and finally said, "Sessha thanks you more than you could know."

Enishi nodded once and they both went onto the dojo property to begin the naming ceremony…

O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"Shinta," Koishi called as they walked down the dirt path. "Don't go too far."

The four year old boy slowed his half running pace as he impatiently waited for his parents to catch up to him. After a very wet winter, the ground had been saturated enough to bring an extraordinary, amazing spring. There were cherry blossom pedals literally everywhere and they kept falling down as if it were snowing pink.

Shinta was very eager to play during the family hanami picnic, although the Himura family already had one, this time it was just the family of three. The boy had shed his toddler years, and was now growing into a young boy. He had boundless energy and even his mother had a tough time keeping up. Often times, he would practice kenjitsu at the Kamiya dojo. Enishi did not like the idea, at first, of his son learning swordsmanship, but when he found that it was a good, productive way for the boy to burn off energy, he consented.

Besides, the father did not mind that practicing at the dojo meant giving his uncle a hard time. The boy found the most unique places to hide, and it kept Kenji on his toes. The redhead did not know that children could be so tenacious, and due to his newfound knowledge, he put off having children with his wife of four years, Chizuru.

The young woman, Chizuru, was more patient with Shinta, but even she had her limits. Even the grandmother, Kaoru, had clashes with the boy. The only one who could really control him at the dojo was his grandfather, Kenshin. His patience knew almost no limits, but due to the boy's adoration of his "Jii-chan," he made sure not to upset the old man too much. Shinta respected his mother enough, but only Enishi could control him at home.

The sire had to take some time adjusting to parenthood, as everyone usually does, and he learned to remain stern but fair. The boy had so many features of his personality; he was very thoughtful, when he wanted to be. He was very kind, when he wanted to be. He obeyed the rules, when he wanted to. He was incredibly stubborn, but his father was equally so, and they often had same personality clashes.

Despite that, Enishi never harmed his son, and just to raise an eyebrow at the boy made him stop his mischievous behavior and remain a good boy. There was only one time he really got angry at Shinta, and that was when the boy picked up his father's watou resting against the wall. It was not so much the fact that he touched the sword; it was more of the sire extremely worried the boy would hurt himself. After that, he was cautious enough to hide his weapon away from wandering hands.

"Where're we going?" The boy asked, always full of questions.

"We're going to a very special place." Koishi answered as she carried their small portioned food in a cloth sack. "It's a place that's very secret, so you can't tell anyone, not even Jii-chan, okay?"

"What's a 'secret'?" Shinta asked with wide, curious topaz-blue eyes.

"A secret," Koishi patiently explained. "Is when you know something, but you don't tell anyone."

"Oh!" The boy exclaimed as if he came to realization. "Like when you accidentally ripped Ottotsuan's favorite changshan, so you threw it away and never told him?"

Koishi winced as Enishi gave her a sharp look, and she said, "See? Now it's no longer a secret." To her husband, she asked, "Are you sure he can be trusted to know the location?"

Enishi shrugged and answered, "I'm sure he'll learn."

"Let's hurry, then." Shinta said with an impatient frown.

The father of the boy inwardly winced when he saw himself in his son. It was not just the personality quirks, but the boy seemed to favor him with looks as well. He had the same eye shape, face structure, and spiky hair, only it was a very deep ebony in color. Then again, Enishi's hair was also black during his childhood, so that factor might be part of him, too.

They finally got to their destination, and the three of them went through very thick foliage in order to get there, but when they got to the clearing, even Enishi had to pause in awe. It seemed the wet, endless winter rain made spring that much more beautiful, for the cherry blossom trees in their secret place had sakura practically growing on every inch of the branches. The ground was littered with pink and the wonderful scent of sakura was everywhere.

It was Shinta who broke the spell as he darted forth, running through the clearing as a wind blew by and swirled cherry blossom pedals around him as if they were in a dance. He played like that for countless minutes before he ran up to his parents, who took their place at the base of a cherry blossom tree. Koishi had fallen asleep as the afternoon wore on, her head rested on Enishi's shoulder, but he remained awake.

The boy frowned as he found something out of place, and he asked, "Ottotsuan, why do you have white hair?"

The man blinked at the question, but he fairly answered, "I was lost after something bad happened."

"You were lost?" Shinta repeated. "But you're here now. Who saved you?"

"First one to save me was your grandfather," Enishi explained. "The next one was your mother."

"Okkasan saved you?" The boy once again repeated with surprise. "How?"

"She saved me with happiness."

"Huh…?" The boy said as if it was the most absurd answer he ever heard.

Enishi smiled and roughed his hand through Shinta's spiky, ebony hair. "I know you don't understand right now," he stated. "But you will; in time, you will."

There was no room for dark memories with such beauty before them. That was all Enishi wanted in his life; good, happy memories to erase the dark ones, and he did just that.

_The End._

**AN:** I know Enishi and Koishi having a child was a bit cliché, as I hinted at in the story, but a child between the two of them was the only way for everyone to come together; the only way Kaoru would accept their relationship, and the only way Enishi would find a way to forgive Kenshin. Of course, Enishi was already trying to find a way to forgive Kenshin, but a child with Koishi made it easier.

Well, that is the final end for Twisted Fate, but I have other Rurouni Kenshin fan fictions in the works. Hopefully I can start posting it before the year 2015 is over; please be looking for it. I had a wonderful (at times, frustrating) time writing this, and I enjoyed every part of the journey; I hope everyone did, too. Thank you everyone!

_"Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle; like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven by some demon one can neither resist, nor fully comprehend."_ -George Orwell


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